Discover the oldest fishing net lead ever

The 29,000-year-old fishing net lead discovered in South Korea shows that people know how to use fishing nets early on.

Lead fishing nets excavated inside Maedun cave.(Photo: AFP).

Korean archaeologists announced the discovery of 14 lead limestone fishing nets dating back to about 29,000 years in Maedun cave in east Jeongseon district, Gangwon province, AFP reported today. The findings show that ancient humans knew how to use fishing nets from the old age period.

In the past, the history of fishing nets was supposed to start from the Neolithic period, when the oldest fishing net lead was discovered in Fukui Prefecture, Japan and Cheongju City, South Korea dates back about 10,000 years old. The new discovery pulled mankind's fishing history back earlier than 19,000 years.

Excavated limestone nets in Jeongseon are 3.7 to 5.6 cm in diameter and weigh from 14 to 52 grams. Each stone has a groove, which is supposed to tie to the edge of the net, allowing the fishing net to sink. In addition, the team also found fossil bones of some fish, stone tools and fish cages inside the cave.