La Derecha Diario Ancient technology: a 40,000-year-old mammoth tusk boomerang discovered
A boomerang made from a mammoth tusk, used 40,000 years ago, was found in a cave and may have had ritual purposes
A team of archaeologists found an ivory boomerang over 40,000 years old in a cave in Poland. This is one of the oldest tools of its kind in Europe and possibly in the world.
The discovery not only demonstrates the technical ingenuity of Homo sapiens in the Upper Paleolithic, but also their symbolic capacity to create complex tools.
What is the boomerang found in the Oblazowa cave like?
The artifact was found in the Oblazowa cave, in southern Poland. It has a curved shape, measures 72 centimeters (2 feet 4.4 inches) long, and was crafted using smoothing and polishing techniques.
According to the researchers, it was carved from a mammoth tusk and shows signs of use, natural wear, and human modifications. Due to its shape and characteristics, it is interpreted as having been used as a boomerang.
A tool for practical or ritual purposes
The study published in the journal Plos One indicates that it could have been a hunting tool or may have played a ceremonial role. The most striking aspect is that it appeared alongside a human phalanx, which reinforces the hypothesis of ritual use.
In that same archaeological layer, not many other tools were found, which suggests that it could have been an offering or shamanic symbol.
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