"We are only now recognising that people in many cultures have hunted or defended against megafauna with planted pikes for thousands of years," said Dr. Scott Byram of UC Berkeley.
"Hunters using pikes often encouraged large game to charge at them, and a planted pike could produce far greater force than a hand-thrust or thrown spear," Dr. Byram added.
The team pointed out that historical sources depict the use of piercing weapons braced against the ground when hunting hefty animals, illustrating a common ancient hunting method.
In experiments, the team found a sharp Clovis point could pierce cow hide with light force, but would break if dropped point-down onto an oak plank.
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