It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

I remember reading that there was some evidence of injuries in bones that were similar to those of rodeo clowns of today. The theory was that perhaps one (or maybe more) individuals made themselves ‘targets’ so that an animal could be then hunted from the sides or rear.

I don not have the ref on hand though sorry.

unreferenced

Brett said that when he went out hunting arrowheads in Oregon the best places were where there were steep cliffs on either side of a ravine. He said that’s where they would climb up and shoot birds as they passed from closer range. And a percentage of arrowheads would be be unclaimed at the bottom.

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

Snares and traps would probably be the main means for smaller animals. Pit traps for larger ones or driving them over a cliff. I would be most surprised if Neanderthals got up close enough to thrust a spear into a mammoths tough hide. Ambush for middle sized game where spears, etc could be used to great effect, often grass-fires were lit to drive out game animals. Being excellent trackers prey could be stalked and speared when least expecting.

Stone shelters were constructed and birds of prey called in and when landed on the structure would through an opening, be grabbed by a leg. Throwing a boomerang or heavy stick upward when a flock of water birds flew over. And many others.

PermeateFree said:

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

Snares and traps would probably be the main means for smaller animals. Pit traps for larger ones or driving them over a cliff. I would be most surprised if Neanderthals got up close enough to thrust a spear into a mammoths tough hide. Ambush for middle sized game where spears, etc could be used to great effect, often grass-fires were lit to drive out game animals. Being excellent trackers prey could be stalked and speared when least expecting.

Stone shelters were constructed and birds of prey called in and when landed on the structure would through an opening, be grabbed by a leg. Throwing a boomerang or heavy stick upward when a flock of water birds flew over. And many others.

The youngsters would break up rocks and throw them at smallish animals that abounded in earlier times. Have found many on this property and each fits nicely into the hand. They apparently were very accurate and was good practice for spear throwing.

Mammoths were herded over cliffs so that they fell to their own deaths. Predators chased off from some kills.

Jean M Auel wrote a series, a trilogy; Clan of the cave bear, was the first novel. She had done her research and there may be some fantasy amongst it. Well worth the read.

Most of the time it would be smaller game that was killed and eaten. Snares were always easiest ways to catch small game.
However, for the most part it would have been plants that were harvested that filled a large part of hunter gatherer’s meals.

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

What part of Indonesia you currently in… deep in wildest Borneo?

certainly shared hunger is a good motivator, real hunger, and there’d be familiarity of locations and behavior of wildlife, the sort of familiarity force of necessity compels, as if starvation could be not too far away

watching video recently, few times i’ve watched it, of a peregrine bringing down flying pelicans, peregrine would grab the front of the pelican bill with its claws and the pelican bill/head would be pulled around, destabilizing the pelican and the pelican would literally fall out of the sky. Doesn’t surprise me peregrines have ways of destabilizing birds in flight, get to be expert at it, but it left me wondering where the idea comes from, and the imagery’s been kicking around in my imagination since

the peregrine would be drawing on a sense of it’s own vulnerabilities in flight, of course a large bill isn’t one of them. It would have a sense though (instincts for) that a sudden jolt to the correspondence between what’s seen and body position (disruption) requires recovery, or recovery time

anyway, my only point, possibly of little contribution to the thread subject, is that a predator often would be referring in some way to its own vulnerabilities of predation, like take ideas of ambush, man has instincts for this, fear of, also a feel for doing it to others, other animals and others of own kind

transition said:

certainly shared hunger is a good motivator, real hunger, and there’d be familiarity of locations and behavior of wildlife, the sort of familiarity force of necessity compels, as if starvation could be not too far away

watching video recently, few times i’ve watched it, of a peregrine bringing down flying pelicans, peregrine would grab the front of the pelican bill with its claws and the pelican bill/head would be pulled around, destabilizing the pelican and the pelican would literally fall out of the sky. Doesn’t surprise me peregrines have ways of destabilizing birds in flight, get to be expert at it, but it left me wondering where the idea comes from, and the imagery’s been kicking around in my imagination since

the peregrine would be drawing on a sense of it’s own vulnerabilities in flight, of course a large bill isn’t one of them. It would have a sense though (instincts for) that a sudden jolt to the correspondence between what’s seen and body position (disruption) requires recovery, or recovery time

anyway, my only point, possibly of little contribution to the thread subject, is that a predator often would be referring in some way to its own vulnerabilities of predation, like take ideas of ambush, man has instincts for this, fear of, also a feel for doing it to others, other animals and others of own kind

video of peregrine dropping pelicans
https://youtu.be/uapP1yldldk?t=80

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

Whew. A heck of a lot in Idriess about this.

Some in the Macquarie Uni book about aborigines, too.

I looked all this up for my sister, a food technologist who wanted to give a talk about aboriginal pre-european food technology.

The stone age hunting techniques for hunting seals and dugongs make fascinating reading.

roughbarked said:

Mammoths were herded over cliffs so that they fell to their own deaths. Predators chased off from some kills.

Jean M Auel wrote a series, a trilogy; Clan of the cave bear, was the first novel. She had done her research and there may be some fantasy amongst it. Well worth the read.

Most of the time it would be smaller game that was killed and eaten. Snares were always easiest ways to catch small game.
However, for the most part it would have been plants that were harvested that filled a large part of hunter gatherer’s meals.

DAM, Late to the party as usual. :-/

https://allaboutbison.com/buffalo-jumps/

was waiting to say; “Same way we still hunt animals TODAY:
which is to say, ‘We Hunt Them To THE BLOODY BRINK (Of EXTINCTION)!’ “ D-:<

Ogmog said:

roughbarked said:

Mammoths were herded over cliffs so that they fell to their own deaths. Predators chased off from some kills.

Jean M Auel wrote a series, a trilogy; Clan of the cave bear, was the first novel. She had done her research and there may be some fantasy amongst it. Well worth the read.

Most of the time it would be smaller game that was killed and eaten. Snares were always easiest ways to catch small game.
However, for the most part it would have been plants that were harvested that filled a large part of hunter gatherer’s meals.

DAM, Late to the party as usual. :-/

https://allaboutbison.com/buffalo-jumps/

was waiting to say; “Same way we still hunt animals TODAY:
which is to say, ‘We Hunt Them To THE BLOODY BRINK (Of EXTINCTION)!’ “ D-:<

Sadly so.

transition said:

certainly shared hunger is a good motivator, real hunger, and there’d be familiarity of locations and behavior of wildlife, the sort of familiarity force of necessity compels, as if starvation could be not too far away

watching video recently, few times i’ve watched it, of a peregrine bringing down flying pelicans, peregrine would grab the front of the pelican bill with its claws and the pelican bill/head would be pulled around, destabilizing the pelican and the pelican would literally fall out of the sky. Doesn’t surprise me peregrines have ways of destabilizing birds in flight, get to be expert at it, but it left me wondering where the idea comes from, and the imagery’s been kicking around in my imagination since

the peregrine would be drawing on a sense of it’s own vulnerabilities in flight, of course a large bill isn’t one of them. It would have a sense though (instincts for) that a sudden jolt to the correspondence between what’s seen and body position (disruption) requires recovery, or recovery time

anyway, my only point, possibly of little contribution to the thread subject, is that a predator often would be referring in some way to its own vulnerabilities of predation, like take ideas of ambush, man has instincts for this, fear of, also a feel for doing it to others, other animals and others of own kind

Like tripping a running gazelle ?

Thomo said:

transition said:

certainly shared hunger is a good motivator, real hunger, and there’d be familiarity of locations and behavior of wildlife, the sort of familiarity force of necessity compels, as if starvation could be not too far away

watching video recently, few times i’ve watched it, of a peregrine bringing down flying pelicans, peregrine would grab the front of the pelican bill with its claws and the pelican bill/head would be pulled around, destabilizing the pelican and the pelican would literally fall out of the sky. Doesn’t surprise me peregrines have ways of destabilizing birds in flight, get to be expert at it, but it left me wondering where the idea comes from, and the imagery’s been kicking around in my imagination since

the peregrine would be drawing on a sense of it’s own vulnerabilities in flight, of course a large bill isn’t one of them. It would have a sense though (instincts for) that a sudden jolt to the correspondence between what’s seen and body position (disruption) requires recovery, or recovery time

anyway, my only point, possibly of little contribution to the thread subject, is that a predator often would be referring in some way to its own vulnerabilities of predation, like take ideas of ambush, man has instincts for this, fear of, also a feel for doing it to others, other animals and others of own kind

Like tripping a running gazelle ?

Better than trying to trip a running elephant.

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

“But I don’t know how they co-operated as a group”

Nobody does, really. The archaeological dig at Gobekli Tepe possibly calls in to question much of the prevailing wisdom about the organization and capabilities of pre-Neolithic peoples and the question has been in limbo for some time.

Quoting the wikipedia article:

“The surviving structures, then, not only predate pottery, metallurgy, and the invention of writing or the wheel, but were built before the so-called Neolithic Revolution, that marks the beginning of agriculture and animal husbandry, around 9000 BCE. The construction of Göbekli Tepe implies organization of an advanced order not hitherto associated with Paleolithic, PPNA, or PPNB societies, however. Archaeologists estimate that up to 500 persons were required to extract the heavy pillars from local quarries and move them 100–500 meters (330–1,640 ft) to the site….

“At present Göbekli Tepe appears to raise more questions for archaeology and prehistory than it answers. It remains unknown how a population large enough to construct, augment, and maintain such a substantial complex was mobilized and compensated or fed in the conditions of pre-sedentary society.”

Ian said:

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

What part of Indonesia you currently in… deep in wildest Borneo?

I lived deep in wildest Borneo when I was a youngster – at a place called Tanjung Kidurong. The nearby town of Bintulu existed but was a lot smaller back then than it is today. We lived in a company town surrounded by a double fence with a dead-man zone between them, patrolled by armed guards because the jungle we were surrounded by was home to Iban tribal natives – genuine headhunters. 3 degrees north of the equator. Jungle thicker than… a very thick thing. It was an amazing place for a kid from Glasgow to grow up in. Unfortunately I never got the chance to question the Iban on their methods of hunting, though.

There is some good descriptive stuff in this document about co-operative hunting.

https://eprints.usq.edu.au/4687/1/Parsons_Wadingh_Wadingh_Publ_version.pdf

Thomo said:

transition said:

certainly shared hunger is a good motivator, real hunger, and there’d be familiarity of locations and behavior of wildlife, the sort of familiarity force of necessity compels, as if starvation could be not too far away

watching video recently, few times i’ve watched it, of a peregrine bringing down flying pelicans, peregrine would grab the front of the pelican bill with its claws and the pelican bill/head would be pulled around, destabilizing the pelican and the pelican would literally fall out of the sky. Doesn’t surprise me peregrines have ways of destabilizing birds in flight, get to be expert at it, but it left me wondering where the idea comes from, and the imagery’s been kicking around in my imagination since

the peregrine would be drawing on a sense of it’s own vulnerabilities in flight, of course a large bill isn’t one of them. It would have a sense though (instincts for) that a sudden jolt to the correspondence between what’s seen and body position (disruption) requires recovery, or recovery time

anyway, my only point, possibly of little contribution to the thread subject, is that a predator often would be referring in some way to its own vulnerabilities of predation, like take ideas of ambush, man has instincts for this, fear of, also a feel for doing it to others, other animals and others of own kind

Like tripping a running gazelle ?

chuckle

what i’m reading suggests ambush was been used by humans maybe as far back as two million years

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/sep/23/human-hunting-evolution-2million-years

https://phys.org/news/2015-09-earliest-evidence-ambush-early-humans.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/164337984@N08/49241682181/in/dateposted-public/
when put that picture together^, it occurred to me the hunter has some instinctive knowledge of the ways and perspective of the hunted. I reckon it’s not just checking things out for a meal, it also knows it’s possibly vulnerable to attack itself, from a peregrine maybe or whatever

the next pictures are during a heatwave, the ravens are possibly delirious
https://www.flickr.com/photos/164337984@N08/49284709563/in/dateposted-public/

dv said:

It occurred to me today that I know practically nothing about the methods used by stone age hunters. I am aware of persistence hunting, but that’s about it.

I know the tools they had: spears, sometimes bows and arrows, axes, various kinds of throwing sticks. But I don’t know how they cooperated as a group.

Please share any resources you have on this topic.

What you’re missing is our great ape brain
with the ability to observe what works & mimic it
by learning from animals that are successful hunters
and agreeing to work cooperatively for the common good.

hunting tactics used by PACKS of wild dogs & wolves.

Scouts, Drivers, Outliers/Flankers & Ambushers

Fashioning weapons to supplement our shortcomings
(lack of speed, endurance, claws, canine teeth – IOW Arrows & Knives)
The second wave of genius was harnessing other animals to join in on the hunt
HUNTING DOGS and where the Plains Indians truly hit their stride was capturing HORSES
and learning to press them into service in every capacity.