Latest news with #whalebone
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Napoleonic whalebone ship among models on display at Leeds museum
A model ship carved from whalebone by a French prisoner during the Napoleonic Wars and a replica of a "cursed" vessel have gone on display at a Leeds maritime miniatures were uncovered while staff at Leeds Industrial Museum were assessing and cleaning their collection of historic model are now on display as part of Engineery, an exhibition about the history of engineering and Museums and Galleries' curator of industrial history John McGoldrick said the art of model ship making was as "old as shipbuilding itself". He said: "Each of the model ships in our collection has been made at a unique and very different moment in history, but what unites them is the ingenuity and attention to detail, which has gone into capturing each minute feature."That level of dedication and commitment speaks volumes about how impressive these ships were and how much they inspired and motivated each model maker to reach such incredible feats of creativity." The model whalebone ship carved more than 200 years ago is a replica of a 19th Century whaling is believed to be an example of the type carved by French captives in British prisons and aboard ships during the Napoleonic leftover bone, the prisoners were also known to employ hair, clothing and jewellery in a model, which normally took a prisoner years to ships in the museum collection include wool clipper Cromdale, built in Glasgow in narrowly escaping disaster on her maiden voyage when she was hit by 300ft high icebergs, she later ran aground in thick fog, ploughing into cliffs off the coast of Cornwall, where the wreck is visible members of the crew died, including one who was reportedly eaten by a shark in Montevideo part of the collection is a scale replica of the RMS Queen than a 1.5m long, the model is a tribute to the much larger original cruise liner, which was once the biggest passenger ship ever built. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-05-2025
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
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, The AP news reported. '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. Scientists think that ancient humans were crafting whale bone instruments in places including the Arctic and South Pacific. There's been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back. Ancient humans weren't necessarily hunting whales, said study author Jean-Marc Petillon with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. More likely, they were scavenging the bodies of beached whales and fashioning their dense, heavy bones into tools to hunt reindeer or bison. The tools indicate that ancient people in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. They likely also collected seashells and fished. Finding such evidence has been difficult as rising sea levels disrupt coastlines across the globe, scientists said. 'It's one more contribution to the importance of coastal environments for human groups, even in this long past," said Petillon.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Scientists date the oldest known tools made from whale bones to 20,000 years ago
A projectile made from gray whale bone, dating back to about 18,000 years ago, in Abbaye d'Arthous, France, in March 2021. (Alexandre Lefebvre via AP) NEW YORK — 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. Scientists think that ancient humans were crafting whale bone instruments in places including the Arctic and South Pacific. There's been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back. Ancient humans weren't necessarily hunting whales, said study author Jean-Marc Petillon with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. More likely, they were scavenging the bodies of beached whales and fashioning their dense, heavy bones into tools to hunt reindeer or bison. The tools indicate that ancient people in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. They likely also collected seashells and fished. Finding such evidence has been difficult as rising sea levels disrupt coastlines across the globe, scientists said. 'It's one more contribution to the importance of coastal environments for human groups, even in this long past,' said Petillon. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Scientists date the oldest known tools made from whale bones to 20,000 years ago
NEW YORK — 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.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
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. Scientists think that ancient humans were crafting whale bone instruments in places including the Arctic and South Pacific. There's been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back. Ancient humans weren't necessarily hunting whales, said study author Jean-Marc Petillon with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. More likely, they were scavenging the bodies of beached whales and fashioning their dense, heavy bones into tools to hunt reindeer or bison. The tools indicate that ancient people in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. They likely also collected seashells and fished. Finding such evidence has been difficult as rising sea levels disrupt coastlines across the globe, scientists said. 'It's one more contribution to the importance of coastal environments for human groups, even in this long past," said Petillon. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
