Key Takeaways
- Archaeologists have discovered wooden tools, weapons, and building materials at a Spanish cave.
- The findings challenge the assumption that Neanderthals primarily used stone tools.
- The wooden objects, dating back 40,000 to 62,000 years, provide insight into Neanderthal technology.
Archaeologists have uncovered a trove of wooden objects at the Abric Romaní site near Barcelona, Spain, challenging the long-held belief that Neanderthals relied solely on stone tools.
The findings, which include timber imprints, charred artefacts, and actual preserved timber, offer a rare glimpse into the Neanderthals' daily lives and technological capabilities.
Josep Vallverdú, from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, states, 'Neanderthal technology was not only made of stone; it was also made of wood.'
The researchers have completed the first systematic review of nearly 600 wooden objects, dating back between 40,000 and 62,000 years, collected by generations of archaeologists since the 1980s.
Among the findings are timber imprints in travertine, a rock rich in calcium carbonate, which preserves the patterns of the wood grain even though the timber has long rotted away.
Maria Gema Chacón, also from the Catalan Institute, notes that the researchers were surprised by the complexity of Neanderthal woodworking, particularly the two spears, which required planning, skill, and careful selection of raw materials.
The technological behaviours preserved at Abric Romaní are comparable to those documented for Homo sapiens, suggesting a sophisticated understanding of wood properties and usage.
Some of the wooden objects appear to be structural poles, while others, like a mysterious wooden tripod and timber trays, hint at the Neanderthals' versatility in utilising wood for various purposes.
Perhaps the most surprising find is a 'club-like' object that has no precedent from any other palaeolithic site. Palmira Saladié, also from the Catalan Institute, describes it as 'not simply a stick with a thicker end,' but a deliberately shaped object with a narrow handle and an enlarged, asymmetrical head.
Neanderthal technology was not only made of stone; it was also made of wood.
Josep Vallverdú, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution
Producing long, straight shafts and shaping them deliberately into pointed weapons required planning, skill and careful selection of the raw material.
Maria Gema Chacón, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution
There is a distinct narrow handle and an enlarged, asymmetrical head, giving the object a much more complex and deliberate form.
Palmira Saladié, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution
