Neanderthals were the first collectors in human history.

Around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, Europe was inhabited not only by modern humans but also by Neanderthals. However, evidence of their existence has gradually diminished, with estimates suggesting their extinction occurred between 40,000 years ago (more confidently) and 28,000 years ago (more controversially). Neanderthals were long regarded as lacking intelligence, but recent research indicates that these ancient inhabitants of the Earth collected objects and possessed abstract thinking skills.

2024-11-23 10:00:13https://naked-science.ru/article/archeology/neandertaltsy-okazalis-sa

Until 2019, it was believed that Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans diverged approximately 500-600 thousand years ago. However, an analysis of the remains of Neanderthal predecessors found in the Sima de los Huesos cave in northern Spain showed that the split occurred around 800 thousand years ago.

Now, in another Spanish cave called Prado Vargas, a collection of marine fossils has been discovered, which were gathered by Neanderthals about 50 thousand years ago. According to the authors of a new study published in the journal Quaternary, this indicates that Neanderthals possessed abstract thinking and may lead to a reassessment of their cognitive abilities.

The 15 specimens of Upper Cretaceous marine fossils found during the excavations (with a lower boundary dating back to 100.5 million years ago and an upper boundary of 66 million years ago) include representatives from the families Gryphaeidae, Pectinidae, Cardiidae, Pholadomyidae, Pleurotomariidae, Tylostomatidae, and Diplopodiidae. All these fossils, except for one, which was likely used as a chopper or hammer (indicated by the presence of characteristic marks), were not utilized as tools or ornaments.

This quantity of artifacts in a Neanderthal cave has been discovered for the first time. Previously, similar finds were rare. The research team from the University of Burgos (Spain) noted that the collection of items without any utilitarian value indicates an ability to assign them special symbolic and/or aesthetic significance.

“Neanderthals may have collected these fossils due to their unusual shape or rarity, suggesting that they had complex cognitive processes,” the authors of the study concluded.

Among the reasons why these ancient inhabitants of the planet might have collected fossils, the team highlighted aesthetic interest (the shape and appearance of the fossils), symbolic or ritual significance (for example, to strengthen social bonds), and child activity (the cave contained remains of children who may have played and learned with them).

The discovery adds to the growing body of evidence for more complex behavior and thinking in Neanderthals. Earlier, Naked Science reported that they cared for the sick and elderly, created works of art, used penicillin and salicylic acid for treatment and pain relief, and even cooked porridge from wild barley.

“Neanderthals may have had abstract thinking abilities similar to those of modern humans. The results obtained open new perspectives for understanding their culture and social organization,” the researchers summarized.

Thus, this archaeological find may indicate that Neanderthals were the first collectors in human history and showed interest in the surrounding world not only from a utilitarian perspective but also from an aesthetic and symbolic viewpoint.