Prehistoric spearthrowers

European palaeolithic spearthrower

Photographie du propulseur préhistorique dis du faon aux oiseau
Reindeer spearthrower, called the fawn with bird, Mas d’Azil, Ariège ©Pierre Cattelain

Prehistoric spearthrowers are made of two parts: a wooden handle that systematically disappeared and a part in reindeer antler, more rarely in bone or ivory. The preserved fragments that we know today are, in fact, the distal part of this weapon.

The features (simple or double bevel, perforation…) observed on the elements preserved indicate that the Palaeolithic spearthrowers were hafted in different ways.

The 140 specimens of spearthrower hooks discovered date back from the upper Palaeolithic, between 22,000 and 12,000 B.C.