US EditionA Mammoth Tusk Boomerang From Poland Is 40,000 Years Old
POLAND, JUN 25 – The mammoth ivory boomerang challenges the idea that boomerangs originated in Australia and reflects advanced Upper Paleolithic craftsmanship, dated to 39,000–42,000 years ago, researchers said.
- Archaeologists unearthed a mammoth-tusk boomerang in Poland's Oblazowa Cave in 1985, dating it to about 40,000 years ago.
- New radiocarbon dating of nearby human and animal remains indicates that the boomerang is approximately 42,000 years old, predating the Pavlov culture of Central Europe by around 10,000 years.
- The boomerang has an arched shape, flat cross-section, and size suggesting it was a hunting weapon, similar to non-returning Aboriginal Australian boomerangs.
- Prof. Paweł Valde-Nowak highlighted that this new research leads to a significant revision of earlier understandings.
- This oldest known boomerang suggests that early Homo sapiens in Europe developed complex projectile technology tens of thousands of years ago, predating agriculture and metallurgy.
30 Articles
30 Articles
A research group has shown that the oldest known boomerang is not from Australia, but was found in Poland.
Ancient boomerang found in Polish cave stuns scientists
A study of a Palaeolithic boomerang found in Poland’s Obłazowa Cave has been dated to 42,000 years ago, making the discovery the oldest example in Europe and potentially the world. Carved from mammoth tusk and measuring 70 centimetres in length, the boomerang was first unearthed in Obłazowa Cave during the 1980s by Professor Paweł Valde-Nowak of the Institute of Archaeology at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Obłazowa Cave is a 9-meter-lon…
New Dating Suggests World's Oldest Boomerang Was Made 40,000 Years Ago - Archaeology Magazine
Mammoth tusk boomerang OBLAZOWA CAVE, POLAND—Boomerangs are today typically associated with the Aboriginal Australian culture and the oldest examples found on the continent there date back 10,000 years. However, according to Courthouse News Service, the world’s oldest boomerang might actually come from Poland. In 1985, archaeologists discovered a crescent-shaped artifact deep in the Oblazowa Cave in southern Poland. Researchers believe that it w…
World's oldest boomerang, found in Polish cave, even older than previously thought
Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support. The world’s oldest known boomerang, which was found in a cave in Poland, is even older than previously thought. It was carved from a mammoth tusk around 40,000 …
Ice Age Humans Crafted a Hunting Tool So Precise It Still Flies Today
In a Polish cave once used by Ice Age hunters, archaeologists have uncovered something that piqued their interest: a boomerang carved from mammoth ivory, dated to around 42,000 years ago. The curved, 72-centimeter tool shows clear signs of human craftsmanship—polishing, shaping, and even traces of red pigment. It was likely used as a non-returning boomerang, the kind designed to strike prey rather than loop back midair. But it’s the age that mak…
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