Overview
- The Nature Communications study led by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona researchers identifies sustained large-whale hunting in Babitonga Bay at least a millennium earlier than prior Arctic and North Pacific records.
- Whale-bone harpoon components, including large foreshafts and pieces placed in burials, indicate purpose-built technology and cultural significance beyond simple carcass use.
- Cut marks on numerous cetacean bones show systematic butchery, with repeated finds across sites and layers pointing to coordinated, long-term practices rather than opportunistic scavenging.
- ZooMS and zooarchaeological work pin species to southern right and humpback whales most frequently, with blue, sei, sperm whales and dolphins also present in the assemblages.
- Many original coastal sites have vanished, making the Joinville museum collections pivotal for dating and analysis, while the abundance of humpback remains supports hypotheses about historical ranges and informs current conservation planning.