Hawksbill sea turtle are taken by humans, though it is illegal to hunt them in many countries. In some parts of the world, hawksbill sea turtles are eaten as a delicacy. As far back as the fifth century BC, sea turtles, including the hawksbill, were eaten as delicacies in China. Many cultures also use turtles' shells for decoration. These turtles have been harvested for their beautiful shell since Egyptian times, and the material known as tortoiseshell is normally from the hawksbill. In China, where it was known as "tai mei", the hawksbill is called the "tortoise-shell turtle", named primarily for its shell, which
Shell tools in the Philippines Late Neolithic Period at Manunggul Cave, Quezon, Palawan. Up to the Metal Age, shells were the major material for the manufacture of both tools and ornaments but shell technology attained its highest development during the Neolithic Period. At present, the people of Palawan living near Tabon Caves still fashion bracelets from shells. The boring and polishing of the shell ornaments is done with stone tools. Shells were found to be useful during pre-historic times when they provided an alternative material for the production of tools which made the development of pre-historic humans possible. These tools were found in various sites