2024-08-29 11:00:05
A new window on Neanderthal history has opened in the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees.
At the heart of this region, a rare archaeological site, Abric Pizarro, provides valuable clues about a little-known period of humanity, allowing us to better understand the disappearance of these ancient humans. Research conducted by the Australian National University (ANU) offers new insight into the Neanderthals’ ability to adapt to extreme climatic conditions.
Abric Pizarro, dated to between 100,000 and 65,000 years ago, is one of the few sites in the world from the MIS 4 period. Researchers have discovered hundreds of thousands of artifacts, such as stone tools and animal bones, there, revealing a more nuanced picture of the Neanderthal way of life. Contrary to the stereotypical view of slow-moving “cavemen,” these prehistoric humans were resourceful and resilient in the face of their environment. Dr. Sofia Samper Carro, lead author of the study, points out that these findings challenge the idea that Neanderthals were limited to hunting large game. Evidence of exploitation of smaller animals, such as freshwater turtles and rabbits, indicates a planning sophisticated rarely attributed to these populations. These indices testify to their capacity to optimally exploit the available resources.
This unique site sheds essential light on a transitional period that is crucial for understanding why Neanderthals disappeared. Before the arrival of modern humans in the Pyrenees region, Neanderthals seemed to have mastered their environment perfectly, having lived there for hundreds of thousands of years. The meticulous work of archaeologists, using modern excavation techniques, has made it possible to collect data of unparalleled precision on their way of life.
ANU archaeologist Dr Sofia Samper Carro says Abric Pizarro’s findings challenge widely held beliefs that Neanderthals only hunted large animals.
Credit: Sofia Samper Carro
Researchers say such sites offer valuable insight into how Neanderthals behaved when they were the only inhabitants of these lands. The findings fuel the quest to solve one of the great mysteries of human history: What drove Neanderthals to extinction after thriving for nearly 300,000 years?
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