Prehistoric ingeniousness unveiled through artifacts crafted from whale bones
Prehistoric Humans Crafted Tools from Whale Bones 20,000 Years Ago, Study Finds
Researchers have discovered that humans have been utilizing whale bones to create tools as far back as 20,000 years ago, showcasing the resourcefulness of our ancestors. The artifacts, primarily hunting implements such as spear points and shafts, were crafted from the bones of at least five species of large whales, including sperm whales, fin whales, gray whales, right or bowhead whales, and blue whales.
Having seafaring capabilities not yet developed at that time, these Ice Age hunter-gatherers likely obtained the whale bones through scavenging washed-up or recently deceased animals, rather than hunting them in the Bay of Biscay, a gulf of the Atlantic Ocean.
The findings are based on a study of 71 whale bone artifacts uncovered at 27 cave or rock shelter sites along the Bay of Biscay's shoreline, stretching from northwestern Spain to southwestern France. The oldest artifacts hail from the Spanish Cantabrian sites of Rascano, dating to about 20,500 years ago, and El Juyo, dating to about 19,800 years ago.
Biomolecular archaeologist Krista McGrath, co-lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications, explains, "These whales were likely opportunistically acquired from stranded animals or drifted carcasses, rather than actively hunted."
The artifacts analyzed range in age from 14,000 years old to over 20,000 years old, with most dating to between 16,000 and 17,500 years ago. Whale bone provided some advantages over traditional materials like antler, offering larger dimensions for creating lengthier and thicker spear points.
Archaeologist and study co-senior author Jean-Marc Petillon of the French National Centre for Scientific Research notes, "They can be very long and thick, and were probably hafted on spear-style projectiles rather than arrows. They are usually found as fragments, many of which bear fractures related to use, and they were most likely used to hunt the main game animals of the time - reindeer and red deer, horse, bison, and ibex."
Previous research has shown that Ice Age people gathered seashells, hunted seabirds, and fished for marine fish alongside meat from terrestrial animals. These new findings build on our understanding of prehistoric humans' exploitation of seashore resources, further demonstrating their ability to adapt to coastal environments.
"Whale bones would have been for more than just making tools. There is evidence for their use as fuel, such as the oil contained within the bones, among other things. And the rest of the whale would also certainly have been used - teeth or baleen depending on the species, meat, skin," McGrath comments.
These findings underscore the value of whale resources for early humans and the gradual evolution of their ability to harness opportunities from diverse environments.
(Reuters)
[1] Ice Age hunter-gatherers utilized whale bones to fashion tools between 20,000 and 14,000 years ago.[2] The discovered artifacts, primarily spear points and shafts, represent at least five whale species.[3] Evidence suggests that these Ice Age hunter-gatherers accessed whale resources primarily through scavenging stranded or recently deceased animals.[4] The practice of utilizing marine resources from beached whales predated organized whale hunting.[5] Seafaring technologies capable of hunting large whales at sea did not develop until much later. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that the bay of Biscay was in a harsh climate with strong storms, making it unlikely that the hunter-gatherers from this period had the means to catch whales in the open sea.
[1] The use of science, specifically archaeology and biomolecular analysis, has revealed that our prehistoric ancestors crafted medical-conditions related artifacts, such as spear points and shafts, from the bones of various whale species between 20,000 and 14,000 years ago.
[2] These findings display an early example of humans utilizing technology in the form of whale bones for creating tools, with the analyzed artifacts representing at least five species of large whales: sperm whales, fin whales, gray whales, right or bowhead whales, and blue whales.
