Azilian Point

Arrowhead

Azilian
14 500 to 11 500 years

Commentary : 

The warmer climatic conditions that accompanied the end of the Ice Age lead to the development of forests across Europe.

During this period, human rely on gathering, fishing, and the hunting of forest species such as red deer, aurochs and wild boar, as well as rabbit and partridge, which are among the most abundantly exploited prey.

Flint knapping is mainly oriented towards the production of small, standardized blades destined for the creation of a large variety of points. Apart from those that might serve as knives for domestic tasks, the majority correspond to projectile points.

Azilian points present clear traces of impact and most are broken after use. Their small size, very light weight and abundance in camps suggest they are used as armatures for arrows.

In the Azilian period, the bow, of which no specimen has been preserved , is at the top of the list of hunting weapons.