Prehistoric humans in North America used Clovis points, meticulously crafted stone tools, as part of an engineered system to hunt large animals like mammoths and mastodons, according to a new study published by the journal Plos One.
The researchers, led by Scott Byram from the University of California, Berkeley propose that Clovis points were likely part of a pike-like weapon system, with the points attached to wooden shafts and planted in the ground at an angle to impale charging animals with greater force than could be generated by throwing spears.
Experimental studies have been conducted to test the effectiveness of such a system, including how different spear designs reached their breaking points and how the expansion system responded to impact.
The design of Clovis points, made from rocks like chert, flint, or jasper, suggests they were intended to immobilize and wound prey, potentially functioning like modern hollow-point bullets.
Clovis points have been found within mammoth fossils, indicating successful hunting.
Researchers plan to further test their theories by building a replica mammoth and simulating a Clovis-tipped pike attack to gain more insight into ancient hunting and survival techniques.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
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