Cover photo: Neanderthal man reconstruction, Natural History Museum, London Artistically and scholarly, this is a brilliant reconstruction of Neanderthal man who used to live in Europe through the Ice Ages until the arrrival of “modern” man some 40 000 years ago. Yet, there was a long period of both types of humans living side by side (and that is responsible for the 2-3% Neanderthal DNA in modern Europeans). Natural History Museum, London. Source here from Werner Ustorf.

Neanderthals are often viewed as less technologically advanced than modern humans. However, most Paleolithic sites only yield faunal remains or stone tools, while perishable materials, which made up the bulk of their material culture, are usually missing.

Paleolithic archaeology largely deals with stone artifacts, but wood likely played a significant role, as suggested by ethnographic data and microscopic traces on stone tools. The research leads to the European Mousterian, a pure product of Neanderthals. This Middle Paleolithic stone tool industry was associated primarily with Neanderthals, dating from approximately 160,000 to 40,000 years ago. It’s characterized by the use of the Levallois technique and Mousterian tools exhibit a high degree of sophistication and standardization. The Levallois technique involves preparing a stone core to produce uniformly shaped flakes, which could then be further retouched into various tools, such as scrapers, points, and denticulates. This method allowed for the efficient use of raw materials and the production of tools with specific functional purposes. The presence of such advanced tool-making techniques suggests that Neanderthals possessed significant cognitive and manual skills.

One notable example of Mousterian technology is the site of La Ferrassie in France, where a variety of tools have been found alongside Neanderthal remains. The assemblage includes a range of scrapers, points, and notched tools, indicating a diverse set of activities, from butchering animals to processing plant materials. These tools are often found in association with animal bones that show signs of butchery, suggesting that Neanderthals were adept hunters and scavengers. The complexity and efficiency of Mousterian tool production, combined with evidence of their use in daily subsistence activities, underscore the adaptive capabilities of Neanderthals in diverse environments.

Additionally, notable wooden artifacts from this era include a set from a 170,000-year-old Middle Paleolithic site in Italy, reported by Aranguren et al. These artifacts, preserved in lake-margin mudstone, include about 40 modified boxwood pieces interpreted as digging sticks, along with unmodified wood, stone tools, and large mammal remains, likely associated with Neanderthals.

Until the 1990s, such artifacts were rare curiosities, with notable examples being yew spears from Clacton-on-Sea, England, and Lehringen, Germany, and objects from Kalambo Falls, Zambia. In 1992, wood fragments were reported from Abric Romani, Spain, and in 1995, well-preserved spears were found at Schöningen, Germany, dating to around 300,000 years ago, possibly used by early Neanderthals. These discoveries have enabled detailed reconstructions of the processes involved in creating wooden tools.

Aranguren et al. detailed the production sequence for the Poggetti Vecchi artifacts, involving careful selection and shaping of boxwood, and the use of fire and various stone tools. While the Schöningen spears are clearly classified as such, the function of the Poggetti Vecchi artifacts is less clear, though they are interpreted as multipurpose digging sticks based on ethnographic comparisons.

The function of the Poggetti Vecchi artifacts, likely Neanderthal-made, is ambiguous, though they are thought to be digging sticks based on ethnographic comparisons. These multi-purpose tools do not show consistent wear patterns. The discoveries at Schöningen and Poggetti Vecchi significantly advance our understanding of Neanderthal technology, establishing new classes of wooden artifacts. These findings highlight Neanderthals’ selective use of high-quality wood and the application of complex production sequences involving various stone tools and fire. The operational sequences for these artifacts indicate sophisticated cognitive abilities, comparable to the Schöningen spears’ complex manufacturing process.

A very interesting study in Scientific Reports tested replicas of 300,000-year-old Schöningen spears to see if Neanderthals could hunt from a distance. Led by Dr. Annemieke Milks (UCL), the research involved javelin athletes who proved the spears could hit targets up to 20 meters away, double the previously thought range. This finding suggests Neanderthals were more technologically advanced and capable of diverse hunting strategies than once believed. Dr. Milks and co-author Dr. Matt Pope highlight that this discovery narrows the gap between Neanderthals and modern humans, showcasing their sophisticated hunting abilities.

Another occasion is the twisted fibers on stone tools from Abri du Maras hinted at Neanderthal string production, something that until now was evidence lacking. A 3-ply cord fragment made from inner bark fibers found at the same site provides direct proof. This complex technology, essential for making various items like clothing and ropes, indicates Neanderthals had advanced cognitive abilities, challenging the notion of their inferiority to modern humans.

The Levallois flake (G8 128), 60 mm long, was found in situ with the cord fragment in level 4.2, 3 meters below the surface, by excavation director M.-H. Moncel. The cord was on the flake’s underside, indicating it was deposited simultaneously with or before the flake. The stratigraphy shows no signs of disturbance. The flake was immediately bagged unwashed to prevent contamination, ensuring the cord fragment’s authenticity.

Several artifacts have plant or wood fibers adhering to their surfaces; however, these fibers lack the distinct twisting or plying needed to confidently identify them as remnants of cordage. Some fibers show slight twists, while others do not. Although these fibers might be related to cordage or its production, only the sample on flake G8 128 clearly demonstrates the structured form of a multi-ply cord.

In conclusion, Neanderthals were far more technologically advanced than traditionally perceived. While most Paleolithic sites yield primarily faunal remains or stone tools, the discovery of perishable materials like wooden artifacts and fibers at various sites provides compelling evidence of Neanderthal sophistication. The examples from Poggetti Vecchi, Schöningen, and Abri du Maras showcase the use of complex technologies and cognitive skills in the creation of tools and other implements, indicating that Neanderthals were adept at using a wide range of materials and techniques.

This collection of archaeological findings, and still many more, significantly shifts our understanding of Neanderthal capabilities. The advanced tool-making techniques, including the Levallois method and the production of multi-purpose wooden tools, suggest that Neanderthals had a complex understanding of materials and technology. The use of twisted fibers for making cords and other items points to their ability to grasp abstract concepts such as pairs, sets, and numbers. Overall, these discoveries contribute to a growing body of evidence that Neanderthals possessed sophisticated cognitive abilities and technological skills, comparable to those of early modern humans.

Sources:

John F. Hoffecker, “The complexity of Neanderthal technology”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), February 12, 2018

B. L. Hardy, M.-H. Moncel, C. Kerfant, M. Lebon, L. Bellot-Gurlet & N. Mélard, “Direct evidence of Neanderthal fibre technology and its cognitive and behavioral implications”, Scientific Reports volume 10, Article number: 4889 (2020).

David W. Cameron, Colin P. Groves, “The Grisly Folk”: The Emergence of the Neanderthals”, in Bones, Stones and Molecules, 2004.

( https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/mousterian-industry )

Javier Baena, Marie-Hélène Moncel, Felipe Cuartero, M. Gema Chacón Navarro, Daniel Rubio, “Late Middle Pleistocene genesis of Neanderthal technology in Western Europe: The case of Payre site (south-east France)”, Quaternary International, Volume 436, Part A, 29 April 2017, Pages 212-238.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/jan/neanderthal-hunting-spears-could-kill-distance

https://www.nature.com/articles/385807a0

https://www.exploringgb.co.uk/blog/the-clacton-spear-oldest-wooden-artefact-ever-found-in-britain

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X15302170