A partial skeleton reveals the world’s oldest known shark attack

A man encountered the animal 3,000 years ago off the coast of Japan

partially excavated skeleton of oldest known victim of a shark bite

A man buried near Japan’s coast around 3,000 years ago, whose skeleton is shown where it was excavated, is the oldest known victim of a shark bite, a new study finds.

Laboratory of Physical Anthropology/Kyoto University

Somewhere off southeastern Japan’s coast around 3,000 years ago, a shark attacked and killed a man who was likely fishing or shellfish diving.