For the first time, archaeologists have digitally and physically reconstructed fishing nets from more than 6,000 years ago, thanks to traces left in ancient pottery.
Using advanced X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans, a team from Kumamoto University has resurrected the delicate details of Jomon-period nets, offering a rare glimpse into everyday technology from Japan’s prehistoric past.
The study was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
The project, led by Professor Emeritus Hiroki Obata, examined pottery fragments from archaeological sites in Hokkaido, in northern Japan, and Kyushu, in the south.
These ceramic pieces held faint impressions of nets pressed into the clay thousands of years ago.
By combining high-resolution CT imaging with silicone casting, the researchers were able to visualize and replicate the nets’ fine structures, including twists in the threads, knotting styles, and the size of the meshes.
Their analysis revealed striking regional differences in net-making. In Hokkaido, large-mesh nets tied with sturdy reef knots were discovered in the coils of Shizunai-Nakano style pottery.
These robust nets were most likely used for ocean fishing before being repurposed in pottery construction, suggesting that the people of the Jomon period practiced an early form of recycling. In Kyushu, however, pottery dating from around 3,200 to 2,800 years ago contained impressions of finer nets.
These nets were tied with simpler overhand knots or made using knotted wrapping techniques. Researchers believe they may have been used originally as bags or molds in pottery production rather than strictly as fishing tools.
The study also highlighted the immense effort involved in making such nets. Based on reconstructions, crafting a single large fishing net could take more than 85 hours of labor.
This underscores both the practical value of these tools and their cultural importance, since they were reused long after their initial purpose.
As Professor Obata noted, this practice represents an ancient example of sustainability, echoing today’s global emphasis on reusing resources.
Beyond reconstructing lost technology, the findings challenge earlier assumptions that all net impressions in pottery were evidence of fishing gear.
Instead, the evidence suggests that nets had multiple uses over their lifespans, from catching fish to carrying goods to shaping pottery. This broader understanding shows how ancient communities maximized the value of their resources in ways that were both creative and practical.
The researchers believe their approach could also help recover the traces of other organic materials—items like textiles, ropes, or mats—that rarely survive in the archaeological record.
By turning faint impressions in pottery into detailed reconstructions, the study opens a new window into the ingenuity of the Jomon people and their sustainable use of everyday tools.
