ABSTRACT

When people first lived in remote tropical seashores, they developed novel adaptations for living in these extreme environments, including the use of a specialized octopus lure device. The evidence for this fishing tradition now can be traced back as early as 1500–1100 BC in the Mariana Islands of Western Micronesia. New research has examined the artefacts of these compound lure devices, especially concerning the cut and drilled dorsum pieces of cowrie (Cypraea spp.) shells. Without this archaeological evidence, octopuses would have been undetected in the ancient deposits, and therefore a significant portion of past diet, innovative technology, and traditional practice would have been hidden from modern knowledge. The findings portray a broader and more realistic scene of ancient coastal communities, with implications beyond the confines of the specific island societies of the Pacific.

摘要

当人们第一次生活在偏远的热带海滨时，他们开发了新的适应方式来适应这些极端环境，包括使用专门的章鱼诱饵装置。这种捕鱼传统的证据现在可以追溯到公元前 1500-1100 年在西密克罗尼西亚的马里亚纳群岛。新的研究已经检查了这些复合诱饵装置的人工制品，特别是关于切割和钻孔的贝壳（Cypraeaspp.) 贝壳。如果没有这些考古证据，章鱼就不会在古代沉积物中被发现，因此过去的饮食、创新技术和传统做法的很大一部分将被现代知识所掩盖。这些发现描绘了古代沿海社区的更广泛和更现实的场景，其影响超出了太平洋特定岛屿社会的范围。