Stone Age hunt: Old whale bones reveal secret food strategies!

Stone Age hunt: Old whale bones reveal secret food strategies!

A current research study has uncovered that residents of the Atlantic coastal regions used Wal bones for their tools and hunting weapons before 17,500 to 16,000 years. This work is the result of a collaboration of scientists of the University of Autònoma Barcelona href = "https://www.kleinezeitung.at/service/newsticker/chronik/19735558/steinzeit-atlantik-anrainer-nutten-walknachen-Sehr-Frueh"> University of Toulouse and the University of Vienna , which analyzed 83 bone tools and 90 additional finds from the Santa Catalina cave.

From the bones examined, 71 came from the remains of large whales that lived in the region. At least six types of whale were found in the North Atlantic 20,000 years ago, including sperm whales, Finnwhales and blue whales. These findings result from a comprehensive analysis of stable isotopes, which enabled conclusions about the diet and lifestyle of the Stone Age people at the time.

wal bones as a source of food and tool

The Wal bones were particularly attractive for the Stone Age people due to their size. They were mainly used for the production of hunting weapons such as arrow shafts and tips. It can be assumed that the people in this colder and more Walreich region did not actively chase the great sea creatures, but rather return to their remains.

The study also shows that the first indications of the use of wal bones can be dated 20,000 years ago. The previous assumptions that were assumed from use 18,000 years ago could therefore be specified. The extensive maritime food chain of this era shows the multitude of whale species that populated the coastal region at the time.

diets in the Stone Age

The diet of the Stone Age people was balanced and varied strongly depending on the climate and availability of food. Recent studies point out that hunters and collectors become older on average and suffered less from illnesses than later farm cultures. For their diet, they were less dependent on grain, which questions the arguments for a supposed need for "Stone Age diets without grain". A Study has shown that adaptation to different food resources in different environmental conditions helped to live healthier.

The Oldstein -Age diet was therefore more diverse and richer in nutrients than often assumed. Hunters and collectors were able to easily find new food resources on hikes, while agricultural societies often suffered from famines when the harvest failed.