A recent study has revealed that humans living on the Atlantic coast of modern-day France and Spain were crafting tools from whale bones as far back as 20,000 years ago—much earlier than previously thought. The research, published in Nature Communications, provides the oldest recorded evidence of whale bone tool use and offers a clear picture of how coastal hunter-gatherers were interacting with marine resources during the Late Pleistocene.
An international team of scientists from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona’s Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the University of British Columbia analyzed 83 bone tools discovered at 26 archaeological sites near the Bay of Biscay, and 90 additional bone fragments found at Santa Catalina Cave in northern Spain.
To determine the species and age of the bones, the researchers used a combination of collagen peptide mass fingerprinting (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS)) and radiocarbon dating. Their findings confirmed that the tools, which were primarily projectile points and spear shafts used for hunting animals like reindeer and bison, were largely made from the bones of five whale species: sperm whales, fin whales, blue whales, gray whales, and either bowhead or right whales.
The study debunks the long-standing view of Paleolithic people in Western Europe as being exclusively terrestrial in their lifestyle. Instead, it suggests that these groups were frequenters of the seashore and exploited marine resources whenever possible.
Interestingly, the research suggests these early humans did not hunt whales in an active sense. Given these marine mammals’ size and strength, and the lack of appropriate maritime technology at the time, it’s far more likely that early humans scavenged the corpses of whales that were stranded or washed ashore. This would have provided them with not only meat and oil, but also the tough, durable bones ideal for use as tools.
A few of the whale bones that were recovered measured more than 15 inches long and showed signs of deliberate shaping and usage. The 90 intact bones discovered in Santa Catalina Cave are also believed to have been put to some different purpose. The scientists believe they were crushed to extract fatty oil—a critical nutrient, especially during the harsh glacial conditions of the Late Pleistocene.
Another fascinating aspect of the study was the glimpse it gave into the ecology and behavior of whales in the past. Chemical analysis of the bones suggests that the feeding habits of whales during the Ice Age may have differed from those of modern times. While most of the whale species identified in the study continue to populate the Bay of Biscay, gray whales are now mostly limited to the North Pacific, pointing to long-term ecological shifts.
The study not only adds to what is known about the use of prehistoric tools but also demonstrates the importance of coastal environments in human prehistory. It challenges the assumption that Paleolithic humans were solely inland hunters and opens up new avenues of research into how early humans adapted to and utilized marine resources.
As sea levels were nearly 400 feet lower during the Ice Age than they are today, many prehistoric coastal sites are now underwater or eroded, making discoveries like this one all the more valuable. Follow-up research may explore whether early humans developed systematic techniques for scavenging stranded whales and how these evolved into later maritime hunting traditions.
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