Oldest arrowheads? found in South Africa

[Kat]

BBC News - Oldest evidence of arrows found

[Mojave]

Thanks, but wow!
Quite a stretch from a few lithic tools to interpreting they represent the use of the bow and arrow.
They used a microscope to look at "distribution patterns of blood and bone residues" as well as glue, on 64,000 year old "arrowheads?"
hmmmm

[eddies]

glue??????????????//

[Kat]

Hmmm, indeed. I am glad to know I am not the only one with questions on this one! I have to wonder if they were found in a dry cave situation why there were no remnants of shafts, bows, etc... and if there were remnants of those items why they were not mentioned as evidence....and isn't a thrown spear a 'projectile'?? Frankly, the 'blood' looks like mineralization and the 'bone' looks like a little fungus. I would not think that 64,000 year old blood would look so...well....fresh and red? Plus, I have to wonder how straight would those fly? Maybe they did a chemical analysis so they know it's blood and bone?
Maybe I'm just not knowledgeable enough to get it....
Kat

[paleo_joe]

Well, other scientists will be challenging the findings I'm sure, like they always do.You could write a paper stating that the sun will come up tomorrow and there will soon be another paper saying your theory is wrong.

It's interesting to me that they looked at impact fractures to determine that these were arrow points and not spear points. I'd like to know the difference. You can tell a knife from a projectile point by the breakage (snapped vs. impact hinge fracture) but an arrow from a spear? that has to be pretty subtle.

Glue in the form of resin or sap is no surprise; every artifact that I've seen that is still hafted, with the exception of axes and celts, has some form of 'glue' holding it in addition to sinew ties.

[PacificNorthWest-Relics]

Edited... sorry for the double post on this story.

[Mojave]

Sorry PacNW, I merged your thread.

[jcinpc]

they had better have shot a bow with at least an 80-100lb pull with those blunt looking "projectiles". I dont buy it at all.
I like the part about them finding it and putting them in plastic baggies and then take them to the lab, they forgot to mention the baggies held their sandwhiches about an hour earlier, roast beef probably

[DesertWalker]

Sounds like a put-up to get more funding, and can keep their jobs.

[TEXAS DIGGER]

Originally Posted by DesertWalker

Sounds like a put-up to get more funding, and can keep their jobs.

im backing that up completely.... what we have here is PHONEY! lol..