Ancient humans crafted bows and arrows in Europe as far back as 54,000 years ago, strengthening the idea that these weapons were instrumental in the spread of early modern humans throughout the continent, a new study finds.

Researchers found the telltale stone points in a rock shelter that was inhabited by early modern humans about 54,000 years ago in what is now southern France. Until now, 12,000-year-old wooden artifacts in Northern Europe were the earliest concrete evidence of bow-and-arrow technology on the continent.

The stone points are the earliest evidence in Europe of the use of bows and arrows by early modern humans and suggest that the technology may have given this human lineage an edge over the Neanderthals for hunting prey, the researchers propose in a paper published Feb. 22 in the journal Science Advances(opens in new tab).

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