A new archaeological discovery that could change our understanding of the ancient history of Central Asia gained worldwide attention on August 18. Archaeologists working in the Obí-Rahmat cave found stone-made arrowheads estimated to be about 80,000 years old. This discovery helps to deepen our understanding of ancient human hunting technologies.
An international research team led by scientist Andrei Krivoshapkin from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences analyzed about 200 small artifacts found in ancient layers. Among these, about 20 were identified as possible arrowheads.
The discovered arrowheads weigh 25-35 grams, and their maximum width is 41 millimeters. These artifacts are much older than similar findings from South Africa, France, and Sri Lanka, which date back 48-60 thousand years. This suggests that bows and arrows appeared in Eurasia much earlier than previously thought.
An interesting fact is that the same cave had previously yielded the remains of children aged 9-12. This finding has sparked scientific debates, as the layers in the cave show signs of both Neanderthal and modern human presence.
Analysis confirmed that these artifacts were indeed used as arrowheads, as their sizes and damage patterns do not match larger weapons, such as spears. This may indicate that ancient populations of Central Asia mastered modern hunting technologies much earlier than expected.
The Obí-Rahmat cave is located 100 kilometers northeast of Tashkent, at an altitude of 1250 meters above sea level in the valley of the Paltova River. It was discovered in 1962 and is considered one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Central Asia. The cultural layers in the cave reach a thickness of 10 meters and span from 40,000 to 80,000 years ago.
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