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Almost 2000 years old weapon found in a cave in Mexico (photo)

Bylim Olena

Almost 2000 years old weapon found in a cave in Mexico (photo)
Weapons were found in a remote cave. Source: INAH

Archaeologists in Mexico have found ancient sets of hunting tools that provide new insights into the prehistoric people who inhabited the region.

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have found ancient sets of hunting tools in Cueva del Tesoro, known as the "Treasure Cave," a small gallery cave in Caderita de Montes, Querétaro, Mexico, Arkeonews reports.

The tools include atlatls, wooden darts, and modified logs that were probably used as multifunctional tools. According to preliminary dates, they date back to the 1st century AD.

Almost 2000 years old weapon found in a cave in Mexico (photo)
Ancient weapons of hunter-gatherers. Source: INAH
Almost 2000 years old weapon found in a cave in Mexico (photo)
Ancient weapon of hunter-gatherers. Source: INAH

An atlatl is a lever for throwing a spear that significantly increases the range and speed of projectiles. This allowed prehistoric hunters to hit the victim at a greater distance than when throwing with their bare hands.

According to the researchers, the tools belonged to hunter-gatherer societies that inhabited the region as early as 7000 BC. At that time, numerous nomadic groups moved to the semi-arid regions of Querétaro and Guanajuato, as evidenced by the abundance of rock art and excavations of prehistoric artifacts in nearby cave systems.

Over time, some groups of hunter-gatherers moved to a more settled agricultural lifestyle, while others continued their traditional practices until recent centuries.

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