Archers at Potočka zijalka?

Abstract

Archaeological finds indicate the use of bows and arrows in the Palaeolithic, though there is no consensus among archaeologists as to its beginnings. The main reason for this lies in the perishable materials used to make archery equipment. Among the finds that could offer indirect evidence for the use of bows in the Palaeolithic are small stone and bone points. Of the latter, the small bone points found in the cave of Potočka zijalka, Slovenia, led to a reconsideration of the existence of archery and archery equipment in the Aurignacian. The cave revealed 125 well preserved bone points, six of which were established to be roughly 32 ky old using the AMS 14C radiometric method.

Keywords

• slovenia
• potočka zijalka
• palaeolithic – aurignacian
• bone points
• archery