Wood you believe it? Early humans were woodwork experts and fashioned double-pointed weapons 300,000 years ago (but launched them like boomerangs rather than spears!)

Early humans hunted deer by throwing a two-pronged stick at least 100 feet like a boomerang, a study suggests.

Analysis of a 300,000-year-old hunting weapon shows our ancestors were woodworking experts and made personal tools, researchers have found.

The two-pronged wooden throwing stick, unearthed in Germany three decades ago, was scraped, seasoned and sanded before being used to kill animals.

The research indicates that early humans’ woodworking techniques were more developed and sophisticated than previously thought.

And using throwing sticks as hunting aids could have involved the entire community, including children.

The 77 cm long stick, found in 1994, is one of several tools discovered at Schöningen, including javelins, javelins, and a second throwing stick of similar size.

It was analyzed by a team from the University of Reading, who determined it was more likely to have been used by early humans to hunt medium-sized game such as red deer and roe deer.

It may also have been used to hunt small, fast prey, including hares and birds that were otherwise difficult to catch.

The throwing sticks would have been thrown rotationally – similar to a boomerang – rather than overhead like a modern javelin, and may have enabled early humans to throw as far as 100 feet.

Although lightweight, the high speeds at which such weapons can be launched could have resulted in deadly high-energy impacts.

The fine surface, carefully shaped points and polish from handling suggest that this was a piece of personal equipment that was used repeatedly, rather than a quickly made tool that was carelessly discarded.

Dr. Annemieke Milks, who led the research, said: ‘Discoveries of wooden tools have revolutionized our understanding of early human behaviour.

The throwing sticks would have been thrown rotationally – similar to a boomerang – rather than overhead like a modern javelin, and may have enabled early humans to throw as far as 100 feet

“Amazingly, these early humans showed the ability to plan well in advance, a strong knowledge of the properties of wood, and many of the advanced woodworking skills we still use today.

These lightweight throwing sticks may have been easier to launch than heavier spears, indicating that the whole community can participate. Such tools could have been used by children in learning how to throw and hunt.’

Co-author Dirk Leder added: ‘The people of Schöningen used a spruce branch to make this aerodynamic and ergonomic tool.

“The woodworking involved several steps, including cutting and stripping the bark, cutting it into an aerodynamic shape, scraping away more of the surface, seasoning the wood to prevent cracking and warping, and sanding it to make it easier to handle.”

The findings were published in the journal Plos One.