TWO fishhooks dating back nearly 23,000 years have been discovered in a Japanese cave.

    The ancient angler’s tools were found on the tiny Okinawa Island between Japan and Taiwan where early modern humans are said to have lived nearly 30,000 years ago.

    Japanese archaeologists excavating Sakitari Cave discovered both a finished and an unfinished fishhook that had been carved and ground from sea snail shells.

    Experts examined pieces of charcoal found in the same layer as the fishhooks, who determined the hooks were between 22,380 and 22,770 years old.

    The latest discovery blows the former oldest out of the water.

    Similar implements were found in East Timor in Southeast Asia thought to be at least 16,000 years old and in Papua New Guinea where they were estimated at between 18,000 and 20,000 years old, according to the Science Mag.

    It’s thought the fishhooks found in the cave were being used by fishermen trying to catch crabs and freshwater snails as they migrated downstream.

    The findings support recent theories that early modern humans were more advanced with maritime technology than previously thought and capable of surviving on remote, small islands.(SD-Agencies)