Ancient Artifacts Rewrite History of Projectile Weapons

A new study analyzing 31,000-year-old flint artifacts found in Belgium suggests that Stone Age Europeans may have used advanced spearthrowers, or atlatls, much earlier than previously believed. The study examined micro-fractures in the spear points and compared them to experimental spearthrower impacts, finding a close match. Critics argue that previous studies were not properly considered, but the researchers stand by their analysis, extending the timeline of spearthrower use by over 10,000 years and providing early evidence of long-distance weaponry in prehistoric hunting.