Rare archaeological site reveals ‘surprising’ Neanderthal behavior at Pyrenees foothills
An uncharted area in the foothills of the Southern Pyrenees in Spain has provided new insights into a poorly known period of Neanderthal history. The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, has gathered hundreds of thousands of artifacts, including stone tools and animal bones, offering significant data about the Neanderthal way of life during that time.
The findings reveal that Neanderthals were able to adapt to their environment, challenging their reputation as slow-footed cavemen. They were resilient through harsh climate conditions and knew how to exploit the surrounding fauna. The discovery of cut marks on animal bones also shows that they were capable of hunting small animals, a fact previously unknown.
The site, Abric Pizarro, is one of only a few sites worldwide dating from 100,000 to 65,000 years ago during a period called MIS 4. The researchers’ analysis of the stone artifacts demonstrates variability in the type of tools produced, indicating Neanderthals’ capability to exploit available resources.
The discovery sheds light on this crucial transitional period, helping archaeologists edge closer to solving the mystery of what drove the Neanderthals to extinction. Finding sites like Abric Pizarro provides information about how Neanderthals lived when modern humans were not in the area yet and shows that they were thriving.
According to Dr. Sofia Samper Carro, lead author and ANU archaeologist, “The unique site at Abric Pizarro gives a glimpse of Neanderthal behavior in a landscape they had been roaming for hundreds of thousands of years.” The researchers’ use of modern excavation techniques provides fine-grain data to understand Neanderthal behavior.
The study also included scientists from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (CEPAP-UAB).
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-08-rare-archaeological-site-reveals-neanderthal.html