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42K-Year-Old Tuna Dinner Discovered

We've been eating the fish for millennia: archeologists

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 25, 2011 11:44 AM CST

(Newser) – It gives “leftovers” a whole new meaning: Archeologists have discovered the remnants of a 42,000-year-old tuna meal, they say. They found tuna and shark bones in an East Timor cave, near Australia. The findings suggest that ancient humans were capable of deep-sea fishing, shedding light on questions over how they traveled on water. “What the site in East Timor has shown us is that early modern humans in Island Southeast Asia had amazingly advanced maritime skills,” says a scientist.

“They were expert at catching the types of fish that would be challenging even today.” There are a number of ways to catch tuna, she notes, but however they did it, “it seems certain that these people were using quite sophisticated technology and watercraft to fish offshore.” Still, the case isn’t closed, the Register notes: Some experts say that tuna may have been accessible near the shore, perhaps making fishing a less daunting task.

Humans have been eating tuna like these for centuries, experts say. (Getty Images)

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42K-Year-Old Tuna Dinner Discovered

We've been eating the fish for millennia: archeologists

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