solutrean assegai bone spear point

These spear points, produced from bone or deer antler, were hafted onto the sharpened end of a lightweight shaft. These hunting spears, known as ‘assegai’, could be launched by hand directly or with the help of an ‘atlatl’. An atlatl, is a spear-throwing tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity. Assegai launched using an atlatl would have had feather fletching at the back end just like an arrow.

Atlatls were made from wooden sticks or similar materials. In order to launch an assegai or spear, it is held at one end with the throwing hand, with its pointed and angled projection at the other end which fits into a notch at the rear of the spear. It was launched by pushing hard, providing greater momentum due to the elongation of the arm’s natural lever.

Bone tools became diverse and widespread in Europe during the Upper Palaeolithic. Although they were not unknown to the Neanderthals, it is in the Upper Palaeolithic that we see a progressive increase in their use. It was then during the Magdalenian when the use of bone tools became widespread.