Europe's Oldest Bowstrings Found in Spanish Cave

Govind Tekale

The Neolithic age is also known as the New Stone age, usually referring to the later period of the stone age, dating from ten thousand BCE to two thousand BCE.

Photo Source: Mary Harrsch (CC BY-SA 4.0)

This age is especially known for its architecture, use of polished stone tools and especially for the spread of agricultural practices.

Photo Source: Notafly (CC BY-SA 3.0)

However, the established studies regarding the Neolithic weapons like the obsidian tools have been challenged by a recent archaeological finding.

Photo Source: Gary Todd (CC0 1.0)

A bowstring dating back to 5000 BCE has been recently discovered in Granada at the cave of Los Murciélagos.

Photo Source: Aaron Oritz (CC BY-NC 2.0)

The credit of this archaeological discovery goes to an interdisciplinary research team for archaeological remains from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), with collaboration from other institutions.

Photo Source: Carlos Torres (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

This bowstring was crafted with exceptional precision and shows technical and artisanal expertise of the craftsmen from the Neolithic period.

Photo Source: Dan Diffendale (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The bowstring consisted of various materials previously undocumented like animal tendons  roe deer, goats, boar and so on) and the shafts were made of wood from olive and reed.

Photo Source: @UABBarcelona (X formerly twitter)

The cave’s environment helped the bowstring to remain almost intact and this bowstring raises questions about the potential practice of violence.

Photo Source: Millars (CC BY-SA 4.0)

It is, however, yet to be studied about the use of the bowstring, whether for violence or hunting or for agricultural practices in the Neolithic age.

Photo Source: @CSICGalicia (X formerly twitter)

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