A mammoth tusk boomerang discovered in Poland is approximately 42,000 years old, potentially making it the oldest known boomerang in the world and challenging previous understandings of early human technological advancement, according to a new study. The research, co-authored by Professor Sahra Talamo from the University of Bologna, utilized radiocarbon dating techniques to establish the artifact's age, suggesting that Homo sapiens in Central Europe possessed complex symbolic and technological thinking much earlier than previously believed.
"We wanted to establish the age of this unique object precisely," Professor Talamo stated. The boomerang, unearthed in 1985 in the Obłazowa Cave located in the Western Carpathians of Poland, was originally dated to just 18,000 years old. However, Talamo suspected that the initial chronology was incorrect due to potential contamination of the sample. "Even a trace amount of modern carbon—from glue or conservation products—can throw off the radiocarbon date by tens of thousands of years," she explained, as reported by New Scientist.
Instead of re-dating the artifact itself, which would require damaging the precious item, the researchers dated 13 nearby animal bones and re-dated a human phalanx found in close proximity to the boomerang. Their results indicated that the sediment layer—and hence the boomerang—dates to between 39,000 and 42,000 years ago, with the boomerang most likely carved between 42,365 and 39,355 years ago.
This new dating positions the ivory boomerang as potentially one of the oldest specimens in Europe, and possibly globally, thereby shedding light on both technical skills and cognitive abilities of Homo sapiens in crafting these complex tools. The find predates the second-oldest known boomerangs—made from wood by Indigenous Australians—by 30,000 years, according to Live Science.
The boomerang, measuring approximately 72 centimeters in length, is crafted entirely from mammoth ivory, indicating high carving skill for its time. Unlike simpler throwing sticks, such as a 300,000-year-old wooden implement found in Schöningen, Germany, boomerangs are curved and aerodynamically shaped, even if they don't always return to the thrower. "Although the ancient boomerang could fly, its size and design made it unlikely to return to sender," Talamo noted.
The artifact was discovered alongside a human finger bone, ornaments made from Arctic fox tusks, stone blade tools, and pendants made from fox fangs, all covered with red ocher. This arrangement suggests that the boomerang was likely used in some sort of ritual. "In this arrangement of boulders, there were also objects of exceptional importance to Palaeolithic people," said Professor Paweł Valde-Nowak, who led the original excavation. "This indicates that the boomerang was not made at the site but was transported from elsewhere, suggesting that it was a highly prized item."
Researchers interpret the boomerang not only as a functional tool but also as an artifact loaded with meaning. The middle section of the boomerang shows evident wear, indicating direct manual handling, supporting its interpretation as a functional tool. However, its symbolic or ceremonial purpose is also supported by its decorative engravings, reddish pigment, and smooth polish, as well as its placement beside a human thumb bone in a circle of imported stones.
While most Stone Age boomerangs are made of wood, this specimen is unique in its ivory composition. "Finding one so ancient in Poland is very unusual; that's why it was crucial to know when it was made," Talamo stated. The boomerang's age suggests it was crafted during a period when early humans displayed an increase in artistry and symbolic behavior, known as the Early Aurignacian period, starting around 40,000 years ago.
Obłazowa Cave, where the boomerang was found, is the only known archaeological site of the Early Upper Paleolithic in the Podhale basin of Poland. Evidence suggests it was used intermittently by Neanderthals and early humans during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic periods (300,000 to 12,000 years ago).
The new findings challenge the widely held belief that Aboriginal hunter-gatherers invented the first boomerangs thousands of years ago as toys and weapons for survival in the challenging Australian environment. "Our analysis on the boomerang found at the Obłazowa site has yielded groundbreaking insights into its age," the researchers wrote.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.