Researchers from Oxford University and their colleagues in Japan have discovered the earliest evidence of a shark attack on humans, dating back 3,000 years. The remains were found at an archeological site near Osaka Bay in what is now called Seto Inland Sea.
Using advanced forensic techniques and interpreting this data with archeology science they could recreate how it happened: A man was attacked by a giant prehistoric shark while fishing for clams along shoreline rocks following other people around him who seemed to be gathering shellfish too that day – suggesting he lived close to the water’s edge.
The victim in the study, a male from Tsukumo site, suffered many traumatic injuries. The gruesome discovery was made by J. Alyssa White and Professor Rick Schulting while investigating evidence for violence on skeletal remains of prehistoric hunter-gatherers at Kyoto University. They came across No. 24 which is one of several skeletons discovered from that previously excavated location where an adult male had their bones riddled with trauma wounds.
“We were initially flummoxed by what could have caused at least 790 deep, serrated injuries to this man,” say the Oxford pair. “There were so many injuries and yet he was buried in the community burial ground, the Tsukumo Shell-mound cemetery site.”
“The injuries were mainly confined to the arms, legs, and front of the chest and abdomen. Through a process of elimination, we ruled out human conflict and more commonly-reported animal predators or scavengers.”
Since archeological cases of shark reports are extremely rare, they turned to forensic shark attack cases for clues and worked with expert George Burgess, Director Emeritus of the Florida Program for Shark Research. And a reconstruction of the attack was put together by the international team.
The team concluded that the individual died more than 3,000 years ago, between 1370 to 1010 BC. The distribution of wounds strongly suggest the victim was alive at the time of attack; his left hand was sheared off, possibly a defense wound.
The man was discovered soon after the attack and buried with his people at a cemetery. Excavation records showed he only had one leg, while the other lay upside-down on top of him in an unusual position.
“Given the injuries, he was clearly the victim of a shark attack. The man may well have been fishing with companions at the time, since he was recovered quickly. And, based on the character and distribution of the tooth marks, the most likely species responsible was either a tiger or white shark.”
Co-author Dr. Mark Hudson, a researcher with the Max Planck Institute, says, “The Neolithic people of Jomon Japan exploited a range of marine resources… It’s not clear if Tsukumo 24 was deliberately targeting sharks or if the shark was attracted by blood or bait from other fish. Either way, this find not only provides a new perspective on ancient Japan, but is also a rare example of archeologists being able to reconstruct a dramatic episode in the life of a prehistoric community.”