TÜBINGEN, GERMANY—According to a statement released by the University of Tübingen, a 300,000-year-old wooden throwing stick has been identified among a collection of artifacts found in lakeside sediments in northwestern Germany by a team of researchers from the University of Tübingen and the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment. Thought to have been carved from spruce wood with stone tools by Homo heidelbergensis, the throwing stick measures about 25 inches long, one inch in diameter, and weighs about nine ounces. A cross section of the weapon shows that it has a rounder side and a flatter side. Marks on the stick consistent with damage from use have been preserved. Butchered remains found at the lakeshore site suggest such hunting sticks were used to kill rabbits, swans, ducks, and even horses. To read about wooden spears discovered earlier at the same site, go to "Weapons of the Ancient World: Hunting Equipment."
