doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67530-w
Credibility: 989
#whale hunters
About 5,000 years ago, indigenous communities living in southern Brazil were already hunting large whales in the Babitonga Bay region of Santa Catarina
This surprising discovery shows that these peoples used specialized tools and coordinated group strategies, a thousand years before what was believed to be the beginning of large-scale whaling in the Northern Hemisphere.
The sambaquis-large mounds of shells built by these coastal societies-contained hundreds of whale bones with cut marks, indicating that the animals were slaughtered and processed by humans.
Among the species identified are the southern right whale, humpback whale, blue whale, sei whale, sperm whale, and even dolphins.
Researchers also found whalebone harpoons, some of the largest ever discovered in South America, and parts of these harpoons were even found in human burial contexts.
This evidence changes a long-held view among scientists: that the coastal societies of South America were basically shellfish gatherers and fishermen, without advanced practices for hunting large cetaceans.
Now, it is clear that the Sambaqui peoples possessed technical knowledge, social organization, and specialized strategies for hunting whales at sea, and did not merely take advantage of animals stranded on the beach.
The study, led by researchers from ICTA-UAB (Spain) in partnership with Brazilian scientists, analyzed bones and tools preserved at the Sambaqui Archaeological Museum in Joinville.
Thanks to advanced molecular identification techniques, it was possible to confirm the species and better understand the lifestyle of these ancient inhabitants.
In addition to revealing a rich and complex history about the indigenous societies of the Brazilian coast, the research provides important insights into the past of the oceans.
It suggests, for example, that some whales, such as humpback whales, frequented waters further south in the past and that their recent return to the region may be part of a natural recolonization process.
This new perspective transforms the image of the Sambaqui people: they were not only gatherers, but also skilled whale hunters, a practice that contributed to their dense and lasting presence along the Brazilian coast for thousands of years.
The results were published in the journal Nature Communications and highlight the enormous value of archaeological collections held in museums, especially at a time when many original sites have disappeared due to urban growth.
Published in 03/29/2026 20h01
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
Reference article:
- https://scitechdaily.com/ancient-whale-hunters-of-brazil-challenge-long-held-scientific-assumptions/
Original study: