Javelin
Specifications
- Type
- Thrown Spear
- Origin
- Africa / Europe
- Era
- Middle Paleolithic, c. 400,000 years ago
- Notable Users
- Roman velites, Greek peltasts, Zulu warriors
- Epoch
- Ancient Age
History
The javelin is a light spear designed to be thrown rather than thrust. Archaeological finds at Schöningen, Germany, include eight spruce-wood javelins dating to approximately 400,000 years ago — among the oldest known wooden artifacts. These were not crude sticks but carefully balanced projectiles, shaped with the center of gravity forward for accurate flight. The javelin gave early humans the ability to wound or kill from 20 to 30 meters away, which changed everything about how hunting and fighting worked.
Significance
The javelin is the first weapon designed solely for killing at a distance. Once you can wound an enemy from 30 meters away, the entire logic of combat changes. Standoff warfare starts here.
54 Weapons. Five Epochs. One Poster.
The Javelin is one of 9 weapons from the Ancient Age featured on the poster.
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