Cueva de Los Murielagos (which means Cave of the Bats) is a cave system that was found by miners in the 19th century near Granada, Spain. As the system was explored, people found things that were much more interesting than the minerals they may have originally been looking for.

More recently, artifacts that are over 7000 years old have been located, some of them alongside human remains, which shows that this cave was used, at least in part, for burials.

The artifacts included bowstrings and fetched arrows, which are now the oldest examples of this type of weapon ever found in Europe.

When artifacts from this old age are found, experts are quickly brought in to study the area, and that is just what happened here. Raquel Pique is one of those who studied the artifacts. Her findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The bowstrings found here were made using interwoven sinews that were taken from multiple different animal species. This included deer, boar, and goats, and possibly others. Weaving these materials together would help to give the bow more flexibility and durability, which is essential for the accurate use of any bow and arrow.

Pique wrote in a statement:

“With this technique, strong and flexible ropes could be made, to meet the needs of experienced archers. This degree of precision and technical mastery, where every detail counts, attests to the exceptional knowledge of these Neolithic artisans”.

The arrows were also made using materials that helped ensure the hunters, or warriors, were successful. Specifically, the study says that olive and willow wood were used for the arrows, which made them both light and strong. Having a lighter wood would help the archers to be able to hit targets that were further away than if they used a heavier material.

Another thing that helps these arrows to stand out is the fact that they have feathers attached to them using fibers. Fletched arrows like this became more common as time went by because they helped to stabilize the arrow, providing for significantly improved accuracy.

The find in this cave provides experts with the oldest examples of this type of bow and arrow ever found in Europe. While more studies on the artifacts will undoubtedly be conducted, these 7000-year-old materials are an incredible discovery.

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