Norway archaeologists were able to find a unique arrow shaft that dates back to the Stone Age. This means that the arrow is around 4,000 years old.
Stone Age Arrow
The Stone Age arrow was found on Mount Lauvhøe's side. The Mount is around 6,500 feet tall and is situated in the Lom Municipality of Norway.
Back when they checked the area in 2017, archaeologists also spotted arrows that date back to the Middle and Iron ages. However, according to Secrets of the Ice co-director, Lars Holger Pilø, the arrow was spotted after ice at the area melted in recent years.
The co-director explains that this novel discovery has an earlier dating compared to other findings. In fact, it dates over 2,000 years earlier. This gives more time depth to the specific area.
The age of the finding can be pinpointed through its shape. However, the researchers will be passing wood samples for further carbon dating when the field season passes.
We have exciting news about the arrow that we found at Lauvhøe recently and posted here last week. Since it was broken at both ends, it was hard to date and we suggested that it might date to the Iron Age. Well, we were wrong!🙂 pic.twitter.com/I87TfpUZlE
— Secrets Of The Ice (@brearkeologi) September 4, 2023
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Evidence of Reindeer Hunters?
The arrow findings could serve as proof of prehistoric hunters stalking reindeers. These creatures could have paced through ice and snow during ancient summers to escape botflies. Pilø explains that in instances where the arrow was not able to hit the target, it ended up burrowing deep into the snow and ended up getting lost. The specific area where the arrow shaft was discovered is among Norway's 66 ice sites. Over the years, these areas have preserved over 4,000 archaeological artifacts.
Ice Preservation
The Secrets of the Ice explains that due to the defect on both ends of the arrow shaft, it was hard to perform dating. Initially, the artifact was believed to date back to the Iron Age. However, after taking away the glacial split, the experts found out that it was older than expected. The shaft could have been a stone projectile that was pressure-flaked. As such, it is likely that the arrow is around four millennia in age. The archaeologists also noted how powerful ice preservation is over the years. They note that ice serves as a time machine of some sort that can transport things from the past into the present at a state that is relatively unaltered.
Stone Age Weapons
During the stone age, the bow and arrow were indispensable hunting tools. They were used from long distances to target huge animals in the forest as well as other smaller mammals and birds. The shape of the arrow differed depending on the target and also changed as time passed. Because of the shape variations for each arrow type, these weapons can be dated by simply taking a look at their appearance.
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