To defend oneself in Vintage Story one must master the art of combat, as there are many silent dangers lurking in the shadows.
Stone Age Combat
Any Stone you mine or pick up can be thrown from a safe distance at living things to perform minor damage (0.5 health points).
If everything fails, a plain old stick still has better range than just punching your way out
Carved from a log with the help of a knife this weapon is sturdy and reliable, but does not inflict a lot of damage (1.5 health points).
The spear is fragile, but it's long range is a tremendous advantage. As with all stone tools, it can be made from granite, andesite, basalt, obsidian and flint. A flint spear does 1.25 damage during a melee attack and 3.5 damage when thrown