The origins of skilled maritime pursuits, such as deep-sea fishing, are believed to have emerged approximately 12,000 years ago. However, an archaeologist, Sue O’Connor from the Australian National University, has extended this timeline by an additional 30,000 years. Dr. O’Connor’s quest began on an island off the northern Australian coast, a place where early Asian settlers were thought to have arrived. Having previously uncovered early fishing implements in the region, she was intrigued when local hunters directed her to a limestone cave close by.Could this cave have served as a haven for ancient seafarers? To answer this question, Dr. O’Connor assembled a team of farmers and initiated a month-long excavation. By the end of the dig, they had amassed over 10,000 fragments of stone, bone, and shell. The oldest layers of sediment, now solidified, revealed slabs encrusted with artifacts. Their contents remained a mystery.Back in her laboratory, Dr. O’Connor treated the slabs with acetic acid, revealing an additional multitude of fish bones. The majority of these ancient remains belonged to species such as tuna and sharks—fast-swimming, deep-sea fish that would have required boats and advanced tackle to be brought to the cave. To her astonishment, carbon dating revealed that these bones were dated to 42,000 years ago, marking the earliest known evidence of deep-sea fishing in human history: “We realized we had uncovered an extraordinary tale of fishing.”