Japanese archaeologists have found the oldest fish hooks.
According to estimates, discovered tackle was made about 23 thousand years ago.
Trying to adapt to the marine environment, the planet’s population of nearly 50 thousand years ago migrated to ocean Islands. Despite this, the technologies of catching fish, virtually nothing is known. Only in New Ireland and East Timor found evidence of fishing and seafaring in the Pleistocene.
Archaeologists from the University of Tokyo with colleagues from other countries have conducted excavations on the island of Okinawa (Ryukyu, Japan). Here, the check in was 35-30 thousand years ago. During the excavations revealed the two remaining hooks in perfect condition. One of them even usable, and the other was not finished. Hooks made of shells. The approximate age of the gear ranged from 22 to 22 380 770 thousand years.
To such conclusion experts came after radiocarbon analysis. Previously found hooks in East Timor date back to the period from 23 to 16 thousand years, and gear of New Ireland, 20-18 thousand years ago.
