The world’s oldest fish hooks have been discovered on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Made from snail shell, they were used by fisherman who seasonally occupied the limestone cavern on the island in order to exploit the migration of crabs and freshwater snails. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal discovered in the same layer as the hooks places them between 22,380 and 22,770 years old. The hooks are older than previously discovered hooks including a 16,000-year old barb discovered on Timor and an 18,000-year-old hook discovered in Papua New Guinea.
The fishhooks, all carved from shells, were found in Sakitari Cave, which was occupied seasonally by fishermen taking advantage of the downstream migrations of crabs and freshwater snails. Unlike their mainland counterparts, who fashioned tools and beads out of shells and stones, the ancient people of Okinawa Island used shells almost exclusively. Japanese archaeologists excavating the cave discovered both a finished and an unfinished fishhook that had been carved and ground from sea snail shells. The findings lend support to the idea that these early modern humans were more advanced with maritime technology than previously thought, and that they were capable of thriving on small, geographically isolated islands.
Picture Credit : Google