Archaeologists believe that recent discoveries may clarify the discussion about Clovis points and alter our understanding of life around 13,000 years ago. By thoroughly examining historical writings and artwork, along with testing replicas of Clovis point spears, a team from UC Berkeley has concluded that ancient humans might have positioned the base of their weapons against the ground in a manner designed to stab a charging animal. This technique would drive the spear deeper into the creature, creating a more severe injury than what even the most skilled prehistoric hunters could achieve through throwing or jabbing.
A team of archaeologists from UC Berkeley has conducted an extensive analysis of historical writings and art, as well as experiments with replica Clovis point spears. Their findings suggest that ancient humans may have stabilized the rear of their spears against the ground to effectively impale a charging animal. This technique could drive the spear deeper into the animal, causing a more significant injury than what the strongest prehistoric hunters could accomplish by throwing or striking.
How did early humans utilize sharpened stones to hunt large animals 13,000 years ago? Did they throw spears with expert-crafted and razor-sharp Clovis points? Did they encircle and jab mammoths and mastodons? Or did they scavenge injured animals, using Clovis points as versatile tools for gathering meat and bones?
Archaeologists at UC Berkeley suggest that the answer may not be any of these scenarios.
Instead, they propose that humans may have braced their pointed spears against the ground at an angle to effectively stab a charging animal. This approach would deliver a more substantial blow, pushing the spear deeper into the creature than prehistoric hunters could manage on their own.
The Berkeley team referenced a variety of historical texts and artwork, reviewing global hunting practices involving planted spears.
They conducted the first experimental study focused on stone weaponry and pike hunting techniques, revealing how spears react to the simulated force of a charging animal. They discovered that once the sharpened rock penetrated the skin, it operated like a hollow-point bullet, able to inflict severe wounds on mastodons, bison, and saber-toothed cats.
“This ancient Native American design marked a groundbreaking advancement in hunting methods,” explained Scott Byram, a research associate at Berkeley’s Archaeological Research Facility and the lead author of a paper published today in the journal PLOS ONE. “This unique Indigenous innovation offers insight into the hunting and survival strategies employed for thousands of years across much of the world.”
The historical review and experiments could potentially solve a long-standing question in archaeology: How did North American communities utilize Clovis points, which are among the most commonly discovered artifacts from the Ice Age?
Clovis points, named after Clovis, New Mexico, where these shaped stones were first uncovered almost a century ago, are made from materials like chert, flint, or jasper. They vary in size from that of a thumb to that of a midsize iPhone, characterized by their sharp edges and fluted bases. Numerous Clovis points have been excavated throughout the U.S., with some found alongside intact mammoth remains.
They have even made appearances in pop culture. For example, characters in the video game “Far Cry Primal” use stone-tipped spears to ambush mastodons, and the film 10,000 B.C. features similar weaponry for mammoth hunting. Scholars and enthusiasts have been known to recreate Clovis points, with some documenting the crafting and hunting processes on YouTube.
While these portrayals are captivating, they often overlook the harsh realities of Ice Age life, according to Byram and his co-author Jun Sunseri, an associate professor of anthropology at Berkeley.
Often, Clovis points are the sole remnants of a spear found. Although intricately designed bone shafts can sometimes be located, the wood bases and components like pine pitch and lacing that play a crucial role in the spear’s functionality have largely decayed over time.
Moreover, research limitations can restrict a comprehensive understanding of prehistoric weaponry, according to Jun. If stone element specialists lack expertise in working with bones, they may miss significant insights.
“It’s essential to look beyond the individual artifact,” he emphasized. “Key to our findings is analyzing this as an engineered system which necessitates knowledge across various specialties in our field and beyond.”
Creating robust and efficient tools was likely a priority for communities 13,000 years ago. These tools needed to withstand the elements, especially since suitable rocks were limited while they traversed vast distances without access to long, straight poles necessary for crafting effective spears. Therefore, Byram suggests that they wouldn’t want to risk throwing or damaging their tools without assurance of striking their targets.
“Those studying metal military artifacts understand their importance for stopping horses in battle,” Byram highlighted. “However, prior to that, and in various contexts such as boar or bear hunting, this knowledge was not widely recognized. This theme appears frequently in literature, yet it hasn’t been extensively discussed in anthropology.”
In order to validate their pike theory, the Berkeley researchers created a testing setup to measure how much force a spear system could endure before the point broke or the shaft expanded. Their straightforward, controlled simulation of an animal charge with a braced replica Clovis point spear allowed for the examination of different spears reaching their breaking points and how expansion systems reacted.
This study was grounded in previous tests where spears tipped with stone were fired into clay and ballistic gel, achieving impacts that might feel like tiny pinpricks to a 9-ton mammoth.
“The energy that a human arm can generate is vastly different from the energy produced by a charging animal, which is on an entirely different scale,” explained Jun. “These spears were designed specifically for their intended uses to safeguard the user.”
The experiment crystallized an idea Byram had considered for many years. During his graduate studies when he studied prehistoric tools, he crafted replicas of Clovis points and fashioned spears using traditional methodologies. He remembered how labor-intensive the process was and how crucial it was for the points to perform effectively.
“It became evident to me that Clovis points served a different function than other types of tools,” Byram noted. “Unlike simpler notched arrowheads, these were considerable weapons likely intended for defensive purposes as well.”
Discussions around a campfire at the start of the pandemic between Jun—who learned from local communities during his African travels—and Kent Lightfoot, a retired Berkeley anthropology professor, triggered further exploration into this mystery. Through these conversations, Jun discovered that the engineering of the spear’s base was just as vital as the craftsmanship of the points themselves.
“The intricate Clovis technology that independently evolved in North America reflects the creativity and skills Indigenous people employed to coexist with the ancient landscape alongside now-extinct megafauna,” stated Lightfoot, a co-author of the study.
In the future, the team plans to conduct further investigations by building a replica mammoth. They intend to utilize a kind of slide or pendulum to simulate an attack to observe how a planted Clovis-tipped pike would interact with a large, swiftly moving animal.
“Sometimes in archaeology, everything falls into place—like it seems to with Clovis technology—bringing pike hunting into the spotlight in the context of extinct megafauna,” Byram said. “This opens a new perspective on how human communities coexisted with these remarkable creatures throughout much of our history.”
