Research Indications of bow and stone-tipped arrow use 64 000 years ago in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Marlize Lombard 1 & Laurel Phillipson 2 The invention of the bow and arrow was a pivotal moment in the human story and its earliest use is a primary quarry of the modern researcher. Since the organic parts of the weapon – wood, bone, cord and feathers – very rarely survive, the deduction that a bow and arrow was in use depends heavily on the examination of certain classes of stone artefacts and their context. Here the authors apply rigorous analytical reasoning to the task, and demonstrate that, conforming to their exacting checklist, is an early assemblage from Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which therefore suggests bow and arrow technology in use there 64 millennia ago. Keywords: Africa, Sibudu Cave, Pleistocene, bow and arrow, hunting technology, lithics, Howiesons Poort, use-traces, residues Introduction The use of the bow and arrow has been interpreted as an important innovation associated with complex human behaviour during the African Middle–Late Pleistocene period (Sisk & Shea 2009). Hunting with a bow and arrow requires intricate multi-staged planning, material collection and tool preparation and implies a range of innovative social and communication skills. The use of bow and arrow technology has far-reaching implications for the reconstruction of the social, technological and cognitive complexity of its makers. Thus, hypotheses about the very early use of this technology need to be underpinned by robust, contextualised arguments. 1 Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa (Email: mlombard@uj.ac.za) 2 11 Brooklyn, Threshfield, North Yorkshire, BD23 5ER, UK (Email: dw.l.phillipson@btinternet.com) Received: 13 August 2009; Revised: 3 November 2009; Accepted: 31 December 2009 ANTIQUITY 84 (2010): 635–648 http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/084/ant0840635.htm 635