Archaeological research carried out at the Neolithic site of La
Draga, near the lake of Banyoles, has yielded the discovery of
an item which is unique in the western Mediterranean and Europe.
The item is a bow which appeared in a context dating from the
period between 5400-5200 BCE, corresponding to the earliest
period of settlement. It is a unique item given that it is the
first bow to be found in tact at the site. According to its
date, it can be considered chronologically the most ancient bow
of the Neolithic period found in Europe. The study will permit
the analysis of aspects of the technology, survival strategies
and social organisation of the first farming communities which
settled in the Iberian Peninsula. The bow is 108 cm long and
presents a plano-convex section. Worth mentioning is the fact
that it is made out of yew wood (Taxus baccata) as were the
majority of Neolithic bows in Europe. In previous archaeological
campaigns, fragments of two bows were found (in 2002 and 2005)
also from the same time