Anthropologists analysing the body of a 800-year-old individual came to a conclusion that the person was possibly killed by a boomerang strike to the head. The remains were found in Toorale National Park, eastern Australia and pre-date by 600 years the arrival of Europeans to the continent.

Boomerangs were a common hunting tool used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But it seems that it was also used for warfare in pre-colonial tribal conflicts. The skeleton belongs to a 20-30 year old Aboriginal male that died around 1200s. The skull contains a long wound. The individual also has broken ribs and a partially severed arm. In a nearby cave the researchers discovered Aboriginal paintings of warriors with shields, clubs, and boomerangs. It seems that it served as a tool and a weapon for a number of tasks, such as digging, hunting, and combat. The experts suspect that they were used for close combat, likely thrown around a shield, allowing warriors to hit the foes. The skeleton is also evidence for inter-tribal conflicts before European colonisation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

(after Science Alert)