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Brazil Discovery: Whaling Older Than Thought!
14 Jan
Summary
- Organized whaling origins now point to Brazil, not Arctic.
- Evidence found includes 5,000-year-old whale bones and harpoons.
- This discovery reshapes understanding of early human coastal societies.
New archaeological findings in Brazil's Babitonga Bay suggest that organized whaling practices are far older than previously believed and did not originate exclusively in the Arctic. Evidence unearthed from the region, dating back 5,000 years, includes whale bones and sophisticated harpoon components. These artifacts, analyzed through protein identification techniques like ZooMS, reveal the hunting of species such as southern right whales and humpbacks.
The discovery challenges the established narrative, indicating that indigenous coastal tribes engaged in organized hunting of large whales. The presence of bone harpoon elements and deliberate cuts on whale bones and blubber provide compelling proof of active hunting rather than scavenging. Furthermore, these findings were often located in burial sites, signifying the cultural and social importance of whale hunting beyond mere sustenance.
These ancient whale hunts played a crucial role in supporting early coastal settlements, providing essential resources for communities that built large shell mounds known as sambaquis. The practice facilitated dense populations and sustained long-term construction efforts, offering significant ecological insights into historical marine mammal distributions, vital for modern conservation strategies.
