Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. "Oldest whale bone tools discovered." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 May 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2025 / 05 / 250527124110.htm>.

Excavations in 2022 in the Basque cave of Isturitz, France, where several dozen whale bone objects were discovered. CREDIT: Jean-Marc Pétillon, Christian Normand.

Citations K. McGrath et al. Late Paleolithic whale bone tools reveal human and whale ecology in the Bay of Biscay. Nature Communications. Published May 27, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59486-8.

There’s been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back.

Scientists have pinpointed the oldest known evidence of humans making tools from whale bone. The bones, fashioned into narrow projectiles for hunting, had been uncovered in excavations dating back ...

Large projectile point made of Gray Whale bone from the Duruthy rockshelter, Landes, France, dated between 18,000 and 17,500 years ago. CREDIT: Alexandre Lefebvre. Get the Popular Science daily ...

Excavations in 2022 in the Basque cave of Isturitz, France, where several dozen whale bone objects were discovered. Picture: Jean-Marc Pétillon Excavation director (to be credited): Christian Normand ...

Radiocarbon dating (which determines the age of organic materials) revealed that the oldest bones in the collection date back to around 19,000 to 20,000 years ago, “making it the oldest evidence ...

A beached sperm whale has been found with its jawbone removed by a chainsaw in an upsetting incident in New Zealand, with locals condemning the damage done to one of their "chiefs of the sea." ...