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Salmon were not discovered on one date. Indigenous Peoples have longstanding relationships with salmon, and researchers found archaeological evidence of human use of chum salmon in Alaska at least 11,500 years ago; 1758 marks the formal scientific naming of Atlantic salmon as Salmo salar, not the first discovery of salmon.
These milestones represent different kinds of evidence: living knowledge and stewardship, archaeological remains, and scientific nomenclature. Salmon is also a broad common name for fish in more than one genus, so dates should identify the species or group they concern.
Key takeaways
- There is no single first-discovery date for all salmon or all peoples.
- Researchers reported chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) remains associated with human activity at Upward Sun River, Alaska, dating to at least 11,500 years ago. This is an archaeological minimum, not proof of the first human knowledge of salmon.
- A 2021 scholarly synthesis describes Indigenous Peoples and salmon in the lands now called Alaska as closely entwined for at least 12,000 years. This broad synthesis does not mean every Indigenous people shares one history or date.
- The year 1758 refers to the scientific nomenclature of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, not the discovery of salmon as a whole.
- The common name salmon includes fish in genera such as Salmo and Oncorhynchus.
What does “discovered” mean for salmon?
“Discovered” can refer to longstanding human knowledge and use, archaeological evidence that people used a particular salmon species, or formal scientific naming. Those are not interchangeable. Archaeology can establish a documented minimum for human use, while scientific nomenclature records a taxonomic milestone; neither identifies a universal first encounter.
| Milestone | Evidence and scope | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Indigenous knowledge and relationships | Scholarly synthesis concerning Indigenous Peoples and salmon in the lands now called Alaska | Researchers describe a relationship extending at least 12,000 years; this is not one universal account or first-discovery date. |
| Archaeological evidence | Chum salmon remains at Upward Sun River, Alaska, associated with a cooking hearth and human burials | Evidence of human use at least 11,500 years ago; not proof of the first human knowledge or use anywhere. |
| Scientific nomenclature | Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar | The 1758 taxonomic milestone applies to Atlantic salmon’s scientific name, not salmon broadly. |
How long have Indigenous Peoples known and stewarded salmon?
Indigenous relationships with salmon are deep and diverse, and cannot be reduced to one date or one account. Clay and colleagues’ 2021 scholarly synthesis states that Indigenous Peoples and salmon in the lands now called Alaska have been closely entwined for at least 12,000 years. The authors discuss cultural, spiritual, social, economic, and subsistence dimensions, as well as Indigenous stewardship systems.
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Researchers also describe origin stories, oral histories, art, songs, and customs that document deep-time relationships with salmon. Attribute such accounts to the communities and researchers discussing them rather than treating distinct Indigenous knowledge systems as one voice. The research does not establish a single first Indigenous discovery date.
For broader context, read the Clay and colleagues’ synthesis on Indigenous peoples and salmon stewardship and Westley and colleagues’ introduction to the State of Alaska’s Salmon and People.
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What is the oldest archaeological evidence of human salmon use?
Halffman and colleagues reported chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) remains associated with a cooking hearth and human burials at the Upward Sun River site in central Alaska. Ancient DNA identified the species, and stable-isotope analysis supported anadromy. The researchers described the remains as 11,500 years old and called them the earliest known evidence of human salmon use in North America.
This finding sets a minimum for the archaeological record, not a date for the first people to know or use salmon. It concerns chum salmon at one Alaskan site, and it cannot establish a universal first encounter across regions, peoples, or salmon species. See Halffman and colleagues’ study of early human use of anadromous salmon.
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What happened in 1758?
The year 1758 is associated with the formal scientific naming of Atlantic salmon as Salmo salar by Linnaeus. NOAA identifies Atlantic salmon as Salmo salar, and the USGS species profile records Trutta salar (Linnaeus, 1758) among its synonyms. This date is a taxonomic milestone for Atlantic salmon, not the discovery of salmon or the naming date for every salmon species.
The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ report The Atlantic Salmon in the History of North America covers human contact with Atlantic salmon from Indigenous times through 1867, drawing principally on archival and other historical material. It is a guide to that history, not evidence of one universal first European encounter.
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Are all salmon the same species?
No. “Salmon” is a common name for multiple fish. Atlantic salmon is Salmo salar, while other salmon, including chum salmon, are in Oncorhynchus. A date about Atlantic salmon’s scientific name should not be presented as the discovery or naming date for all salmon.
For a concise overview of the distinction between salmon and trout groups, see Danielle Olson’s Smithsonian Ocean article.
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What is the timeline for salmon’s discovery?
- At least 12,000 years ago: A 2021 scholarly synthesis describes Indigenous Peoples and salmon in the lands now called Alaska as closely entwined for at least this long. It is a broad synthesis, not a universal first-discovery date.
- At least 11,500 years ago: Chum salmon remains associated with human activity at Upward Sun River, Alaska, provide archaeological evidence of human salmon use.
- 1758: Linnaeus’s taxonomic attribution marks the scientific naming of Atlantic salmon as Salmo salar.
FAQ
When was salmon first discovered?
There is no established single date. Indigenous Peoples have longstanding knowledge and relationships with salmon; archaeological evidence documents human use of chum salmon in Alaska at least 11,500 years ago. That evidence is a documented minimum, not proof of the first human encounter.
Did Linnaeus discover salmon in 1758?
No. The 1758 milestone concerns the scientific naming of Atlantic salmon as Salmo salar. It does not mark the first human knowledge or use of salmon.
What salmon species was found at Upward Sun River?
Halffman and colleagues identified the remains as chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, using ancient DNA. The remains were associated with a cooking hearth and human burials.
Are all salmon Salmo salar?
No. Salmo salar is Atlantic salmon. The common name salmon covers multiple fish, including species in Oncorhynchus.
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