Andrey Krivoshapkin

Stories

80,000-year-old stone points may be the world's oldest arrowheads

As of September 2026: Leading further excavation plans in Central Asia

Tiny triangular stone points found in a Central Asian cave appear to be 80,000-year-old arrowheads, the oldest known in the world. The artifacts from Uzbekistan's Obi-Rakhmat site predate comparable points from Ethiopia by roughly 6,000 years.

Updated Sep 7

Notable Quotes

The appearance of the Obi-Rakhmat population in Central Asia coincides with the presumed time of the dispersal of anatomically modern humans in Eurasia.

from 80,000-year-old stone points may be the world's oldest arrowheads · Updated Sep 7

The bows themselves and the arrow shafts have not been preserved, so some skepticism from colleagues is expected.

from 80,000-year-old stone points may be the world's oldest arrowheads · Updated Sep 7