Hunting weapons of the Middle Stone Age and the Middle Palaeolithic: spear points from Sibudu, Rose Cottage and Bouheben

International audienceThis paper compares Middle Stone Age points from two South African sites, Sibudu and Rose Cottage, with points from Bouheben, a Middle Palaeolithic/Final Acheulian site in SW France. The Sibudu unifacial and bifacial points, from post-Howiesons Poort assemblages dated between 60 and 37 ka, have been previously identified as spear points; their diagnosis is strongly supported by both morphometric and impact fracture analyses. Our paper shows: a) that the Rose Cottage unifacial points and the Mousterian points from Bouheben can also be interpreted as hand-delivered spear tips; b) that the range of throwing spears has been underestimated, and c) that there is no reason to restrict interpretation of early hunting behaviour to placing the prey in a disadvantaged position and killing at close quarters. We review recent research on the appearance of long-range projectile technology in Africa and in Europe and provide support to statements by John Shea that strong evidence of the use of spearthrower dart tips and arrowheads occurs only at sites younger than 50–40 ka