Stone
Specifications
- Type
- Projectile / Bludgeon
- Origin
- Universal
- Era
- Lower Paleolithic, c. 2.6 million years ago
- Notable Users
- Homo habilis, Homo erectus, all early hominins
- Epoch
- Ancient Age
History
The thrown or hand-held stone is humanity's first technological weapon. Knapped flint and river cobbles served dual purpose — they could be hurled at prey or enemies from a distance, or gripped in the fist to amplify the force of a strike. Oldowan stone tools dating back 2.6 million years represent the earliest evidence of deliberate weapon-making. These rough choppers and scrapers gave our ancestors a decisive edge over larger predators and rival groups.
Significance
The leap from fist to stone is where weapons technology begins. Somebody picked up a rock and realized the world itself could be shaped into a weapon. Everything since has been a refinement of that idea.
54 Weapons. Five Epochs. One Poster.
The Stone is one of 9 weapons from the Ancient Age featured on the poster.
Get the Poster