Schoningen's 300,000 Years Old Wooden Hunting Stick Affirms Human's Woodworking Skills in Ancient Times

Humans have shown that in every period, they are innovative and notable for their crafts that turn everyday materials into sophisticated tools, with a recent discovery in Schoningen, Germany. The latest discovery in the quaint town in northcentral Germany is home to various ancient tools, with the most recent one being a double-sided wood hunting stick dated 300,000 years old.

Tools have long been a part of human evolution and show how they utilized their environment and developed craftsmanship, with this new tool affirming their skills and ingenuity with wood.

Schoningen's 300,000 Years-Old Wooden Hunting Stick

Researchers from the University of Reading have discovered a 300,000-year-old double-pointed wooden hunting stick in Schoningen, Germany, and this affirms many beliefs from researchers on early humans' skills.

A study published in the PLoS One journal shared its findings on the ancient weapons, highlighting the craftsmanship and woodworking skills the early humans displayed.

"The Schöningen humans used a spruce branch to make this aerodynamic and ergonomic tool. The woodworking involved multiple steps including cutting and stripping off the bark, carving it into an aerodynamic shape, scraping away more of the surface, seasoning the wood to avoid cracking and warping, and sanding it for easier handling," said co-author Dirk Leder.

Confirms Advanced Human Craftmanship and Skills

Apart from this ancient discovery, it also affirms the skills of the early humans which modern ones are still using now.

"Discoveries of wooden tools have revolutionised our understanding of early human behaviours," said research lead Dr. Annemieke Milks, of the University of Reading's Department of Archaeology.

"Amazingly these early humans demonstrated an ability to plan well in advance, a strong knowledge of the properties of wood, and many sophisticated woodworking skills that we still use today.

The Tools that Made Humans What They Are Now

Every little thing goes a long way, and raw materials that were lying around before were given different functions and lives thanks to the ingenuity of humans in the early days. There are significant discoveries where humans used tools and crafted on massive rocks like obsidian were dated to as much as 1.2 million years ago, confirming that development is always present among us.

Apart from crafting tools or engraving on massive stone bifaces from the early days, humans are also well-versed in creating entertainment for themselves or their communities. There was once the discovery of 12,000-year-old flutes, and the researchers confirmed that these are the earliest prehistoric wind instruments made by humans.

Crafting and woodworking have been significant skills of early humans from prehistoric times, and the evidence lies around awaiting modern society to learn more of their past from these time-forgotten items. Schoningen's latest double-pointed wooden hunting stick only shows how humans are significantly advanced in woodwork, to help their survival in the early years.