5 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists discover 7,000-year-old tiger shark-tooth knives in Indonesia

Excavations on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi have yielded an incredible find: two tiger shark teeth that were fashioned into knives and are thought to be approximately 7,000 years old.

Because it offers some of the earliest evidence of shark teeth being used in composite weapons worldwide, this discovery is significant. Until now, the oldest such shark-tooth blades found were less than 5,000 years old.

Attributed to the enigmatic Toalean culture, these blades hint at rituals and warfare from an era before Neolithic farmers reached Indonesia.

These weapons, as reported in the journal Antiquity, are not just older but more advanced than any previously discovered shark-tooth blades, which were at least 2,000 years their junior.

Using a combination of scientific analysis, experimental reproduction, and insights from modern human societies, the Australian and Indonesian scientists deduced that these teeth had been attached to handles, transforming them into blades. They were most likely used during rituals or battles.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Both of these shark teeth artifacts are attributed to the Toalean culture, a group that inhabited southwestern Sulawesi for several millennia. These enigmatic hunter-gatherers inhabited the island before Neolithic farmers from mainland Asia (“Austronesians”) spread into Indonesia around 3,500 years ago.

Modified 7,000-year-old tiger shark teeth found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Photo: M.C. Langley.
Modified 7,000-year-old tiger shark teeth found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Photo: M.C. Langley.

The shark teeth are of a similar size and came from tiger sharks (Galeocerda cuvier) that were approximately two metres long. Both teeth are perforated. Further examination revealed that these teeth were attached to a handle with a combination of mineral, plant, and animal materials, as well as plant-based threads.

This attachment method is similar to that used in contemporary shark-tooth blades found in various Pacific cultures.

Examination of the edges of each tooth found they had been used to pierce, cut and scrape flesh and bone. However, far more damage was present than a shark would naturally accrue during feeding.

While these residues superficially suggest Toalean people were using shark-tooth knives as everyday cutting implements, ethnographic (observations of recent communities), archaeological and experimental data suggest otherwise.

It may seem odd to choose to use shark teeth as weaponry. But since the only technology available to ancient oceanic cultures was Neolithic, people had to make do with what they could. They didn’t start using metal tools until they came into contact with Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Map Credit: Antiquity.
Map Credit: Antiquity.

The shark knives weren’t all that bad, though. Deep cuts could be made with these blades, according to experimental reproductions. However, their sharpness had a drawback in that they could easily blunt, rendering them less useful for regular tasks. Their ability to cause severe wounds might have limited their usage to special events or conflicts rather than as kitchen knives.

Communities all over the world, from Kiribati to Hawai’i, have incorporated shark teeth into their culture, particularly those located along coastlines known for shark fishing. These teeth have been fashioned into weapons, ritual objects, and even tattooing instruments. The variety of ways they were used demonstrates the reverence and respect these communities had for these oceanic predators.

Antiquity

Cover Photo: Scratches and a ground section on the tip of a shark tooth indicate its use by people 7,000 years ago. Credit: M.C. Langley

Related Articles

The Ancient City of Miletos’s “Sacred Cave” Opened to Visitors

2 October 2021

2 October 2021

In the ancient city of Miletos, which had an important place in the advancement of philosophy, art, and science in...

Lost medieval road thought to have been used by famous Scottish king Robert the Bruce found

27 June 2021

27 June 2021

Excavating a hill considered to have played a critical part in the Battle of Bannockburn, archaeologists discovered a forgotten medieval...

8000-year-old unique “fish-figure” small home tool found in Turkey

20 October 2021

20 October 2021

During this year’s excavations in the Yeşilova and Yassıtepe mounds in İzmir, a unique “fish-figure” small home tool was found....

From Toy to Treasure: Detectorist’s ‘Lucky Mistake’ Reveals 2,000-Year-Old Roman Brooch in Dorset

25 September 2025

25 September 2025

A metal detectorist in Dorset, southwest England, has unearthed a 2,000-year-old Roman brooch. Initially mistaken for a child’s toy, the...

Archaeologists Unearth Rare Artifacts from the First Turkic Khaganate in the Altai Mountains

15 September 2025

15 September 2025

Archaeologists from Altai State University and their international colleagues have made a groundbreaking discovery in Russia’s Altai Republic, unearthing artifacts...

First Human Figurine of the Mesolithic Era (Circa 9000 Years Old) Discovered in Azerbaijan’s Damjili Cave

19 April 2025

19 April 2025

A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the Damjili Cave in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district: the first human figurine from the...

The first mother-daughter burial from the Roman period found in Austria

3 May 2024

3 May 2024

Modern scientific methods are increasingly uncovering spectacular results from archaeological finds dating back a long time. A grave discovered 20...

‘Theodoric the Great’ villa mosaic found near Verona in Italy

17 April 2022

17 April 2022

A section of the ancient Roman mosaic flooring from the 5th century AD villa of Ostrogoth king Theodoric the Great...

Archaeologists Reconstruct the Face of a 7th-Century Anglo-Saxon Woman Buried with “Trumpington Cross”

21 June 2023

21 June 2023

In a remarkable archaeological discovery near Cambridge, England, the face of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon woman buried with a rare gold...

Surprising Genetic Findings from Early Middle Ages Burial Sites in Austria

22 January 2025

22 January 2025

In a groundbreaking archeogenetic study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, in collaboration with an international team,...

Comb and gold hair-ring dating back more than 3,000 years unearthed in south Wales

14 July 2023

14 July 2023

Archeologists in south Wales, have unearthed a golden hair ring and the oldest wooden comb ever found in the U.K....

Archaeologists Unearth Carolingian Silver Treasure Hoard

6 May 2021

6 May 2021

A silver treasure hoard from the 9th century AD has been discovered in Poland‘s Osa and Drwęca basin. The hoard...

An inscription containing 15 headless falcons and unknown ancient rituals found in an ancient Egyptian temple

8 October 2022

8 October 2022

Archaeologists have discovered a shrine containing previously unknown ancient rituals during excavations at Berenike, a Greco-Roman port in Egypt’s eastern...

Rare Roman Articulated Terracotta Doll Unearthed at Torreparedones Archaeological Park

25 September 2025

25 September 2025

Archaeologists working at the Torreparedones Archaeological Park in Baena, Córdoba, Spain, have made a remarkable discovery: a rare Roman-era articulated...

“One of the outstanding discoveries of recent decades”: Gold coin reveals unknown British King

20 October 2023

20 October 2023

New light has been shed on a little-known part of British history thanks to the extraordinary discovery of a coin...