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Jerimalai

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Site type:
Cave
Lat/Long:
-8.39, 127.26
Country:
Timor-Leste
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Jerimalai is a limestone cave southeast of Tutuala, on the eastern tip of East Timor. Fish remains and fish hooks excavated in Jerimalai provide evidence of advanced fishing techniques by inhabitants of Timor 42,000 years ago.

Jerimalai has the third oldest findings discovered in Wallacea, after Madjedbebe in mainland Northern Australia and the Laili cave near Manatuto on Timor.

The fish remains found in Jerimalai are the oldest evidence of fishing far from the shore. In addition, a fish hook believed to be between 16,000 and 23,000 years old was discovered. The four inches long hook is made from the shell of a marine snail. The hook was used to catch fish in the coastal waters, which at the time were rich in coral reef fish.

The high advancement of fishing techniques for the time can be explained by the lack of land animals on Timor in that era. 40,000 years ago, rodents and reptiles were the only land species available to the inhabitants of Timor.