Humans Used Whale Bone Tools 14,000 Years Ago

Recent research has uncovered the oldest known evidence of humans crafting tools from whale bones, dating back between 14,000 and 20,000 years ago along the Bay of Biscay in France and Spain. Scientists analyzed 83 bone tools and additional remains from at least five large whale species, including sperm, fin, blue, gray, and right or bowhead whales, with a preference for sperm whale bones due to their shape and size. The Magdalenian hunter-gatherers are believed to have opportunistically collected bones from stranded or drifted whales, as there is no evidence they could hunt such large marine mammals. The findings expand understanding of early human adaptation to marine environments and show that coastal resources were more significant to survival strategies than previously recognized. The study also highlights challenges in preserving evidence due to sea-level rise. These discoveries push back the timeline for human use of whale remains as tools by thousands of years.