5,000-year-old whale bones and harpoons from Brazil reveal the earliest evidence of organised whaling

Historians and archaeologists long considered that the origins of organised whaling lay in the Arctic region of the Earth. A recent discovery in southern Brazil disproves this hypothesis. In the region of Babitonga Bay, in the state of Santa Catarina, it has been found that the local native tribes practised the organised hunting of large whales at a depth of 5,000 years. The evidence as reported in emerges from whale bones and harpoon pieces that have been conserved in museums across the regions and analysed for evidence as to whether these whales were hunted or scavenged. Bones from whales, as well as whale hunt artefacts, were harvested in rescue excavations in the mid-20th century in Babitonga Bay. However, over the years, the original coastline had altered or disappeared. Thus, instead of new excavations, records in museums, notes, and radiocarbon dates were used. To determine the species from bone fragments, ZooMS, a protein technique, was used by McGrath and her team to read the collagen patterns found in bones. It is worth noting that a collagen protein can last for thousands of years, ensuring that species identification becomes possible even after other tissues have decomposed. Species found in this way included southern right whales, humpbacks, and dolphins, while blue, sei, and sperm whales were encountered from time to time. Evidence that can’t be overlooked is the bone harpoon components. Bone sections of the whale were fashioned into the connecting mechanism of a main shaft and a point. These sections featured grooves meant for the holding of barbs, using fibers. Some foreshafts measured 10–20 inches and featured beveled tips, as well as cross-grooves. This further reinforces evidence of active whale hunting. Stone tools had created deliberate cuts in meat and blubber, while whale cut marks are further evidence that whale hunting was not solely practiced by Arctic cultures as previously thought. Harpoon components and whale bones were even discovered in burial sites, indicating that the hunting of whales held a certain social value beyond their usage as a food source. These early whale hunts played an important role in shaping local societies. Sambaquis, or large shell mounds built by coastal families, served as hubs for work, ceremony, and burials. Harvesting a whale provided substantial quantities of meat and oil, supporting dense settlements and enabling long-term mound construction. However, not all coastal communities hunted whales, so the practice may have been specific to certain groups rather than universal along the coast. The study also offers ecological insights. Humpback remains suggest that breeding whales once occupied waters farther south than current ranges indicate. Comparing historical distributions with modern sightings can help conservationists manage marine habitats more effectively. Southern right whales were the most common species identified. Their slow swimming and tendency to calve in shallow, sheltered waters would have made hunting nearshore feasible. Faster, offshore species were rarer, implying that some remains still came from strandings.