Crafting Ancient Fishing Technologies (2022)

Ancient approaches to fishing were remarkably diverse and effective. Oral histories, as well as archaeological and anthropological studies, offer glimpses into how the world of ancient fishing worked. These accounts provide: 1) the craft behind fishing technologies; and 2) how people incorporated tools into their subsistence economies, either on a household or community basis. For this project, I examined two primary fishing techniques: the hand-woven net; and the hook-line. Research can help us determine the sociotechnical value of this type of crafting as well as the crafting process’s potential impact on overall subsistence. Toward these ends, I worked to recreate ancient fishing technology and I found that their fabrication was typically a group occupation and that multiple tools were used to catch many fish at once.