On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, recent excavations have resulted in an amazing discovery: 2 tiger shark teeth, estimated to be around 7,000 years old, that were fashioned into blades. This discover is noteworthy as it provides a few of the earliest international evidence of shark teeth being used in composite weaponry.
An Indonesian Toalean artisan, seated on the ground, absorbed in the detailed process of crafting a shark tooth knife. Credit: AI-generated, DALL-E.
Shark teeth into weapons
Both of these shark teeth artifacts are attributed to the Toalean culture, a group that lived in southwestern Sulawesi for several millennia. These enigmatic hunter-gatherers populated the island before Neolithic farmers from mainland Asia (” Austronesians”) spread into Indonesia around 3,500 years earlier.
The teeth, from tiger sharks roughly two meters long, had distinct perforations. More analysis suggested that these teeth were attached to a manage utilizing a mix of mineral, plant, and animal products, in addition to plant-based threads.
This attachment approach is similar to that utilized in contemporary shark-tooth blades found in numerous Pacific cultures.
Modified 7,000-year-old tiger shark teeth found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Credit: M.C. Langley.
Utilizing a mix of scientific analysis, speculative recreation, and insights from contemporary human societies, the Indonesian and australian scientists surmised that these teeth had actually been adjoined to deals with, crafting them into blades. They were most likely brandished throughout rituals or bouts of warfare.
These weapons, as reported in the journal Antiquity, are not simply older but more innovative than any previously discovered shark-tooth blades, which were at least 2,000 years their junior.
Credit: Antiquity.
Why Shark Teeth?
Around the world, from Kiribati and Hawaii, neighborhoods have integrated shark teeth into their culture, especially those nestled along shorelines with a penchant for shark fishing. These teeth have actually been transformed into weapons, routine things, and even tattooing tools. The variety in their usage underscores the reverence and respect these neighborhoods held for these oceanic predators.
Across the world, from Kiribati and Hawaii, communities have included shark teeth into their culture, particularly those nestled along shorelines with a fondness for shark fishing. These teeth have been changed into weapons, routine things, and even tattooing tools.
The shark knives werent that bad. Experimental reproductions showed that these blades worked in delivering deep cuts. Their sharpness was a double-edged sword, as they could become blunt quickly, making them less useful for everyday usage. Their capability to cause extreme wounds may have restricted their usage to unique occasions or disputes rather than as kitchen knives.
A shark-tooth knife from Aua Island, Papua New Guinea. Credit: M. Langley and The University of Queensland Anthropology Museum.
Scratches and a ground section on the tip of a shark tooth suggest its usage by people 7,000 years earlier. Credit: M.C. Langley.
” For example, a combating knife found throughout north Queensland has a single long blade made from roughly 15 shark teeth placed one after the other down a hardwood shaft formed like an oval, and is utilized to strike the flank or buttocks of an adversary,” composed the authors of the brand-new study in an article for The Conversation.
” Weapons, including lances, knives and clubs equipped with shark teeth are known from mainland New Guinea and Micronesia, while lances form part of the grieving costume in Tahiti.”
While other shark-tooth artifacts are much older, the Indonesian finds recommend a various story. They were not just decorative pieces however had a practical, maybe even spiritual, role in society.
The option of utilizing shark teeth in weapons might appear unusual. However, people made do with what they could given that ancient oceanic cultures just had access to Neolithic technology. It was till they reached Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries that they began incorporating metal tools.
The choice of utilizing shark teeth in weaponry may seem uncommon. The shark knives werent that bad. Their ability to cause serious injuries might have restricted their use to special events or conflicts rather than as cooking area knives.