#WhaleBones

New archaeological findings illuminate how prehistoric hunter-gatherers on Europe’s Atlantic coast crafted sophisticated tools from whale bones nearly 20,000 years ago. Reports in high-profile journals highlight large projectile points and other implements made from gray whale bones, uncovered in a Duruthy rockshelter in Landes, France. Radiocarbon dating places these artifacts in the Late Paleolithic Magdalenian period, a time when Europe remained heavily glaciated and coastal communities relied on diverse resources.

A new wave of archaeological research is shining a light on the resourcefulness of prehistoric societies, revealing that hunter-gatherers living on Europe’s Atlantic coast nearly 20,000 years ago fashioned sophisticated tools from the bones of massive whales. The recent findings, published in the high-impact journal Nature Communications, not only offer a rare glimpse into early human innovation but also enrich the global narrative of how ancient peoples adapted to and thrived in challenging coastal environments (Nature Communications, Reuters).