A new study carried out by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and published in the journal Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio) describes archaeological remains discovered in the Cueva de Los Murciélagos, in Albuñol, Granada. These remains revealed the sophistication of archery during the Neolithic period in the Iberian Peninsula (5300-4900 BC) and shed light on European materials and manufacturing techniques that would have been used during this era.
Exceptionally well-preserved organic remains
The organic remains are exceptionally well preserved, allowing research teams to identify and document elements of archery equipment believed to have been used by Neolithic peoples 7,000 years ago. Archaeological finds include arrows preserved with their original feathers, two bowstrings made from animal tendons and fiber remains, among the oldest found in Europe.
The arrowheads also provide information on how people would have used local resources. The study revealed the use of olive wood and reed for the first time.
“The identification of these bowstrings is a crucial step in the study of Neolithic weapons. Not only were we able to confirm the use of animal tendons to make them, but we also identified the animal genus or species they came from,” explains Ingrid Bertin, researcher at UAB and first author of the published work. Goat and deer tendons were used and intertwined to create ropes.
“This technique made it possible to manufacture strong and flexible strings to meet the needs of expert archers. This degree of precision and technical mastery, where every detail counts, testifies to the exceptional knowledge of these Neolithic artisans,” explains Raquel Piqué, researcher in the UAB Department of Prehistory and coordinator of the new study.
The use of reeds to make arrows in Europe has been considered by researchers for decades, but thanks to the new study, it has finally been confirmed. Moreover, the combination of willow, olive and reed is an interesting combination choice according to the team.
“This integration provides a hard, dense front end complemented by a lightweight rear end, which significantly improves the ballistic properties of the arrows, whose tips are made of wood without stone or bone projectiles. Future experiments could help determine whether these arrows could have been used for hunting or close combat, or whether they were non-lethal arrows,” explains Ingrid Bertin.
The shafts of the arrows discovered were covered with pitch from birch bark, a material obtained through controlled heat treatment of tree bark. This pitch was used for its protective properties, but also for decorative purposes, thus adding a dimension that is both functional and aesthetic to the arrows.
Adaptation to local resources
Since the beginning of the Neolithic, populations have developed their own technical knowledge by adapting to local resources, but the combination of advanced materials and techniques discovered during the study redefined researchers’ current understanding of the technologies used by Neolithic populations.
The discoveries contribute to enriching our understanding of the craft practices and daily life of prehistoric societies and pave the way for the study of ancient weapons, revealing methods and materials that can be studied in other European Neolithic archaeological sites,” said Raquel Piqué. “In addition, they allow us to better understand the symbolic sphere linked to these funerary objects in a funerary context such as that of the Cueva de los Murciélagos.
The team concludes that the findings from the Cueva de Los Murciélagos highlight the limits of our knowledge about the first agricultural societies of Europe and provide new information on archery materials and practices in antiquity.
Article reference:
First evidence of early neolithic archery from Cave of the Bats (Albuñol, Granada) revealed through combined chemical and morphological analysis | Scientific Reports. Bertin , I. , Maria Martin-Seijo , Martinez-Seville , F. , McGrath , K. , Santana , J. , Blacksmith-Otal , M. , Martinez , RM , Palomo , A. , Regert , M. , Théry , I. and Pique, R. 5th of December
