A study appearing in the September volume of the Journal of Archaeological Science is rewriting what we thought we knew about Neanderthals.
The study centered on approximately 30 years of “extensive research” within former Neanderthal cave dwellings in the Southern Pyrenees foothills of Spain, revealing that this ancient human species was far more capable than Big Archaeology gives them credit for. The site is reportedly roughly 100,000 to 65,000 years old, dating to a period known as MIS 4. It is also littered with artifacts challenging our preconceived notion of Neanderthal culture, according to the study.
“Our surprising findings at Abric Pizarro show how adaptable Neanderthals were,” lead author Sofia Samper Carro told SciTechDaily. Stone tools and animal bones discovered by the researchers show how Neanderthals were highly adaptive creatures, busting the popular misconception that they were poor hunters and pretty dumb.
The Lost Neanderthal Era: Unique Archaeological Site Rewrites History | https://t.co/RyD6vGAXnJ
— SciTechDaily (@SciTechDaily1) August 18, 2024
The variability of the artifacts suggests Neanderthals were more than able to exploit their natural landscape, including hunting small animals. “The animal bones we have recovered indicate that they were successfully exploiting the surrounding fauna, hunting red deer, horses, and bison, but also eating freshwater turtles and rabbits, which imply a degree of planning rarely considered for Neanderthals,” Carro told SciTechDaily. (RELATED: 86,000-Year-Old Human Remains Uncovered, Challenging Dominant Migration Hypothesis)
“They clearly knew what they were doing. They knew the area and how to survive for a long time,” the researcher reportedly added..
Archaeologists Find Ancient Secrets Hidden Beneath US State https://t.co/H2TYpFsDag
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Contrary to popular belief, despite some cross-breeding, Neanderthals and us, Homo sapiens, are not the same and we did not evolve from Neanderthals‘. We shared Earth with these monsters and it may not have been particularly pleasant.
Some modern theorizing suggests Homo sapiens were more like prey to Neanderthals than any type of relative. If you’d like to learn more about this terrifying chapter in human history, I highly recommend this episode of “The Why Files.”
