The theory that early modern humans may have had an advantage over Neanderthals due to projectile technology has been supported by new evidence that bows and arrows were used by them in Europe 54,000 years ago.

A new study confirms that bows and arrows were made by ancient humans in Europe as early as 54,000 years ago, supporting the theory that the expansion of early modern people across the continent was aided by these tools.

The distinctive stone points were discovered by researchers in a rock shelter that early modern humans lived in around 54,000 years ago in what is now southern France. The earliest conclusive proof of bow-and-arrow technology on the continent up until this point was found in wooden items from Northern Europe that date back 12,000 years.

A new study confirms that bows and arrows were made by ancient humans in Europe as early as 54,000 years ago, supporting the theory that the expansion of early modern people across the continent was aided by these tools.

The distinctive stone points were discovered by researchers in a rock shelter that early modern humans lived in around 54,000 years ago in what is now southern France. The earliest conclusive proof of bow-and-arrow technology on the continent up until this point was found in wooden items from Northern Europe that date back 12,000 years.

Early modern humans inhabited the site between 56,700 and 51,700 years ago, according to many of the same experts. This information pushed back the earliest known date of early modern humans' arrival in Europe by roughly 10,000 years.

In a recent investigation, hundreds of stone artifacts from the same location and around the same age were studied. Many of these artifacts displayed obvious indicators of having been used as projectile weapons, including more than 100 points that appear to be arrowhead components. Many of them resembled the arrowheads produced later by Homo sapiens, and some of them showed damage, including fractures, at the tips that might have been caused by impacts.

In order to replicate hunting animals, the researchers also fashioned replica points from stone found close to the rock shelter into spears, arrows, and darts for atlatls (spear throwers). They then used these tools to shoot or stab dead goats. They discovered that while some of the larger points may have worked well with spears, the smaller points wouldn't have caused significant harm without the might of a bow and arrow.