Scientists date the oldest known tools made from whale bones to 20,000 years ago

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 over a century in the Bay of Biscay near Spain and France. Scientists figured the tools were quite ancient, but many were small fragments so it was hard to determine their age.

Technological advancements in the past decade have now made it possible to date the oldest of the tools to about 20,000 years ago. Scientists found that the bones came from blue whales, fin whales, sperm whales and other species.

“Humans and whales have clearly been encountering one another for a long time,” said Vicki Szabo with Western Carolina University, who studies the history of whaling and was not involved with the latest research.