A recent discovery in Belgium’s Scladina Cave has revealed the oldest known multi-purpose tools made from a cave lion’s bones, showcasing Neanderthal resourcefulness and intelligence. The findings date back to around 130,000 years ago, during the end of the Saalian glaciation.
Researchers discovered four different tools crafted from one limb bone of an adult cave lion, all demonstrating intentional shaping, reuse, and refinement for new purposes. Initially, the fragments were shaped; later broken and reused to sharpen stone tools through a process known as retouching. One of the tools features a beveled end, suggesting it was used for multiple functions.
This discovery is significant as it marks the first instance of cave lion bones being used as tools by Neanderthals. Although evidence suggests that early hominins hunted lions 300,000 years ago, such findings are scarce. The Scladina tools provide the earliest direct evidence of Neanderthals using lion bones specifically for tool-making.
The site is one of Europe’s most important Neanderthal locations, with previous discoveries including a well-preserved eight-year-old child skeleton and thousands of flint tools. This latest find contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Neanderthal existence, dispelling the notion that they were primitive or cognitively inferior.
The researchers argue that the intentional transformation of lion bones into functional tools highlights Neanderthals’ cognitive skills, adaptability, and resource utilization abilities. The production steps used in crafting these tools are similar to those employed for other animal bone tools, suggesting that Neanderthals likely hunted animals for their practical utility. Further study of the newly discovered tool will help shed light on Neanderthal patterns in using bones as tools, significantly improving our understanding of how they interacted with their environments.
Source: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/07/neanderthals-turned-lion-bones-into-multifunctional-tools