Scientists have uncovered evidence that Stone Age humans living near a lake in present-day Germany created a sophisticated “fat factory” to process animal carcasses. The discovery, published in the journal Science Advances, reveals that Neanderthals used stone hammers and fire to extract fatty nutrients from bones, which were rich in fat.
The researchers analyzed 120,000 bone fragments and 16,000 flint tools found at a site called Neumark-Nord, south of Halle. They discovered that the Neanderthals smashed marrow-rich bones into fragments and boiled them for hours to extract the fat. The resulting fat could be skimmed off upon cooling.
The finding helps paint a picture of the group’s organization, strategy, and survival skills. It suggests that Neanderthals were more intelligent than previously thought, using complex planning and techniques to obtain essential nutrients.
Neanderthals had understood the nutritional value of their bone grease and likely consumed it as a “greasy broth” with added plants for flavor and nutrition. The discovery also shows that they had mastered big-game hunting and adapted to their environment.
The researchers have confirmed what many scientists had long suspected: Neanderthals valued within-bone lipids and developed specific strategies to extract and process them. This discovery aligns with the broader archaeological record, which portrays Neanderthals as highly skilled hunters with a refined sense of ecological adaptation.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/04/science/neanderthal-fat-factory-germany