Archaeologists recently unearthed what could be the oldest full weapon system in North America in a remote cave system in West Texas. The artifacts include a perfectly preserved hunting kit made of broken weapon components, hidden deep in the San Esteban Rockshelter cave system for 6,000 years.
Director of the Center for Big Bend Studies (CBBS), Byron Schroeder, described the finding as “monumental” to the local press.
The director explained the find occurred after “A person came to the back of the cave and went through their hunting gear piece by piece: ‘This is good. This is not good. I need to remake this leather pouch a little bit.’ And then went on their way.” He added, “That one small act is going to have profound implications in understanding a wide range of topics, including the environment.”
Researchers studying the find have said they expect these tools to shed further light on the lives and practices of the region’s earliest inhabitants. Perhaps the most intriguing weapon unearthed has been described as an “ancient spear-throwing device” known as an atlatl.
Other tools found include a straight-flying boomerang, stone-tipped foreshafts for connecting knapped stone points to the atlatl, and hardwood foreshafts capable of delivering poison.
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
In a remote cave system in West Texas, archaeologists may have stumbled upon North America’s oldest intact weapon system. Deep within the vast San Esteban Rockshelter in Big Bend, south of Marfa, a remarkably well-preserved hunting kit was… pic.twitter.com/RJaFoxm9jz
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) March 30, 2025
Despite most of the weapons being preserved in pristine condition, none of the components are complete. Nearly all of the pieces of the atlatl were recovered. The lack of components has made it increasingly complicated for researchers to understand how the ancient weapons worked. Weapons expert and CBBS assistant professor Devin Pettigrew explained, “We’re also missing the proximal (handle) end of the atlatl, but we know enough about this type to reconstruct what it may have looked like.”
In addition to the weapons kit found in the Texas cave system, archaeologists also found human feces and a perfectly preserved tanned pronghorn hide with hair. The hide featured spaced holes for tying to a frame, which, according to experts, was a common practice among plains native groups.
Someone folded the hide and sat right on top of the rock, and no one touched it for 6,000 years.
Caves often held key significance in Indigenous American cultures. In many cases, they believed that hunted prey could be reincarnated. It is worth mentioning, however, that researchers are unsure whether the cave or a weapon found there held any symbolic or spiritual purpose for a specific culture.
