Timeline of Stone Weaponry

(Dates are Approximate)

1.2 million - 500,000 years ago - Stone hand axes were primarily used.

500,000- 400,000 years ago - First evidence of spears. This may however be drastically o€. A current population of modern chimpanzees in Senegal uses spears to hunt. This might suggest that the common ancestry of both humans and apes used this technology and that it was passed down millions of years ago.

320,000-300,000 years ago - Projectile points began to diversify for various types of weapons, including hafted tips.

40,000 to 25,000 years ago - The “Atlatl” was developed. It was a method of throwing a stonetipped dart or spear that was likely the progenitor of the bow and arrow.

25,000- 3,000 years ago - Further refinement of projectile points, including scalpels used for rudimentary surgery. The Bronze age brought a new era of weapon and tool making.

Fun Fact: Almost all discovered stone weapons were developed for right-hand use, suggesting this has been the dominant trait in the human timeline for millions of years.