28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Europe’s Oldest Boomerang: A 40,000-Year-Old Mammoth Ivory Artifact Discovered in Poland

An international team of scientists has uncovered the oldest known boomerang in Europe, a 72-centimeter tool meticulously carved from mammoth ivory, found in Obłazowa Cave in southern Poland. Radiocarbon dating places this artifact between 42,290 and 39,280 years ago, making it one of the earliest examples of Upper Paleolithic technology and early Homo sapiens hunting tools.

Unlike traditional wooden boomerangs, this exceptional prehistoric hunting weapon was designed as a non-returning boomerang, optimized for precision throws rather than aerodynamic returns. Its large size and curvature demonstrate advanced craftsmanship skills during the Late Pleistocene, reflecting the technical ingenuity of early modern humans in Central Europe.

Wear pattern analysis indicates that the boomerang was frequently used by a right-handed individual, providing valuable insights into the daily life and tool use of Paleolithic humans. The boomerang was found alongside a human phalanx identified as Homo sapiens through genetic and morphological analysis, as well as decorative artifacts like shell pendants and bone beads, suggesting possible symbolic or ritual significance.

Due to contamination during restoration, direct radiocarbon dating of the boomerang was not possible. Instead, scientists used Bayesian modeling on associated animal bones and human remains from the same stratigraphic layer to date the artifact precisely. This approach places the boomerang firmly within the Upper Paleolithic period, between 42,290 and 39,280 calibrated years BP.

Details of the boomerang. Credit: Talamo et al., 2025, PLOS One
Details of the boomerang. Credit: Talamo et al., 2025, PLOS One

This discovery challenges the long-held belief that boomerangs and similar throwing tools were unique to Aboriginal Australians or later cultures in Egypt. Instead, it reveals that early Homo sapiens in Europe independently developed complex hunting technologies and symbolic behavior much earlier than previously thought. Isotope analyses of animal remains found at Obłazowa Cave indicate a varied diet, including reindeer, horses, and musk oxen, reflecting adaptive strategies in cold-steppe environments.

The mammoth ivory boomerang from Obłazowa Cave significantly reshapes our understanding of prehistoric innovation, demonstrating that early modern humans possessed advanced technological skills and cultural complexity in Europe around 40,000 years ago. This artifact offers a rare glimpse into the cognitive and adaptive abilities of our ancestors during a pivotal era of human evolution.

Furthermore, this find adds valuable evidence to the ongoing discussion about the interaction and coexistence between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals in Europe. The presence of advanced tools alongside human remains suggests that modern humans brought technological advantages that may have contributed to the eventual replacement of Neanderthals. This insight shifts the timeline for modern human migration and technological development in Central Europe during the Upper Paleolithic.

Additionally, the deliberate selection of mammoth ivory and the transportation of this heavy material over long distances highlight strategic planning and resource investment by early humans. The absence of carving debris in the cave indicates that the boomerang was likely crafted elsewhere and brought to Obłazowa Cave, emphasizing its cultural and possibly symbolic importance beyond mere hunting utility.

A. Geographical location of Obłazowa Cave in the Podhale basin, western Carpathians (base map from GeoMappApp: www.geomapapp.org); B. View of the western entrance and main entrance of Obłazowa Cave (photos by PV-N and AN); C. Sedimentary section of Obłazowa Cave and distribution of the archaeological horizons, A – Aurignacian, S – Szeletian, M – Mousterian (stratigraphic section redrawn by PV-N). Credit: Talamo et al., 2025, PLOS One
A. Geographical location of Obłazowa Cave in the Podhale basin, western Carpathians (base map from GeoMappApp: www.geomapapp.org); B. View of the western entrance and main entrance of Obłazowa Cave (photos by PV-N and AN); C. Sedimentary section of Obłazowa Cave and distribution of the archaeological horizons, A – Aurignacian, S – Szeletian, M – Mousterian (stratigraphic section redrawn by PV-N). Credit: Talamo et al., 2025, PLOS One

The discovery of this ancient boomerang underscores the sophistication of Upper Paleolithic hunting tools and supports the idea that early modern humans in Europe developed symbolic expression and technological innovation independently of other regions such as Australia or Egypt. It also illustrates their adaptability to harsh climates and diverse ecosystems, enhancing our understanding of human resilience during the Late Pleistocene.

Talamo S, Casaccia N, Richards MP, Wacker L, Tassoni L, Nadachowski A, et al. (2025) Boomerang and bones: Refining the chronology of the Early Upper Paleolithic at Obłazowa Cave, Poland. PLoS One. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324911

Cover Image Credit: The oldest boomerang in the world. Credit: Archaeological Museum in Kraków

Related Articles

Treasure of 1,290 Ancient Roman Coins Discovered by Amateur Archaeologist in Switzerland

16 April 2022

16 April 2022

An amateur archeologist has found a big treasure trove of over 1,290 priceless, ancient Roman coins dating back to the...

Fragments of the World’s Oldest Known Rune Stone Discovered in Norway

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have found fragments of the world’s oldest known rune stone at the Svingerud burial field in Norway and fitted...

Trier University’s Digital Coin Cabinet is Now Accessible

19 February 2024

19 February 2024

Historical coins are much more than just pieces of jewelry for collections and exhibitions and are of particular interest for...

Excavations in and around Yazıkaya, one of the monumental works of the Phrygians, start again after 71 years.

23 July 2022

23 July 2022

Archaeological excavations at Midas Castle in Yazılıkaya Midas Valley in the Han district of Eskişehir, located in northwest Turkey, will...

Opulent Bronze Age Girl’s Tomb Discovered in Iran’s Greater Khorasan Civilization

1 August 2025

1 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably rich Bronze Age burial of a young woman at the site of Tepe Chalow in...

A Rare Bilingual Inscription Discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province

28 June 2024

28 June 2024

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission announced the discovery of a rare bilingual inscription in the village of Alqan in the Tabuk...

Archaeologists find a 5,000-year-old piece of wood in Orkney, which they describe as “astonishing”

10 August 2021

10 August 2021

Archaeologists continue to make surprising discoveries in Orkney. Although organic materials are quite difficult to find, archaeologists have found a...

Gravitational Wave Researchers Shed New Light on the Mystery of the 2,000-Year-Old Computer Antikythera Mechanism

28 June 2024

28 June 2024

Astronomers from the University of Glasgow who specialize in studying tiny ripples in space-time have shed new light on the...

Mysterious Rods Found in 5,500-year-old Tomb identified to Be Earliest Drinking Straws

19 January 2022

19 January 2022

Russian archaeologists argue that the rods unearthed in an early bronze age tomb in the Caucasus are the oldest known...

Seven metal detectorists found 2,584 silver coins in a southwest England field “the most expensive treasure ever found in the United Kingdom”

27 October 2024

27 October 2024

In early 2019, seven metal detectorists found a cache of 2,584 silver coins dating to the Norman Conquest that had...

New suspect in greatest act of vandalism in the history of dinosaur study

29 May 2023

29 May 2023

Researchers from the University of Bristol are rewriting the history of paleontology’s darkest and most bizarre event. Vandals with sledgehammers...

A Rare Late Neolithic Period Seal found in Domuztepe Mound

25 August 2022

25 August 2022

A rare Late Neolithic Seal was discovered during the 2022 excavations of the Domuztepe Mound (Domuztepe Höyük), located on the...

Archaeologists find evidence of how Iron Age Britons adapted to the Roman conquest in Winterborne Kingston

29 June 2024

29 June 2024

Archaeologists from Bournemouth University (BU) have discovered human remains and artifacts which give new insight into how early Britons adapted...

2,000-Year-Old Unique Composite Fish Scaled Armor Found in Ancient Tomb

20 December 2024

20 December 2024

Chinese researchers have recently found fish-scaled armor in the tomb of Liu He, Marquis of Haihun from the Western Han...

Research Uncovers a Long-Isolated North African Human Lineage in the Central Sahara from Over 7,000 Years Ago

4 April 2025

4 April 2025

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, including senior author...