Researchers from the University of Montreal have made a groundbreaking discovery that challenges our traditional views on the evolution of human behavior: a multi-purpose bone tool crafted by Neanderthals. Found at the Grotte du Bison site in Arcy-sur-Cure, Burgundy, France, this tool dates back between 55,000 and 60,000 years, and it represents the first known instance of such a tool made by Neanderthals. This discovery demonstrates that Neanderthals possessed a sophisticated understanding of bone as a material, recognizing its mechanical properties and intentionally shaping it for specific tasks, a skill long believed to be exclusive to Homo sapiens.
Neanderthals inhabited parts of Europe and western Asia during the Middle Paleolithic period, approximately between 250,000 and 28,000 years ago. For much of the 20th century, scholars underestimated their technological and cognitive abilities, often viewing them as lacking the nuanced behaviors associated with modern humans. Neanderthals were seen as primarily focused on basic survival needs, and researchers rarely credited them with incorporating materials like bone into their toolkit. Only within the last twenty years has evidence emerged suggesting that Neanderthals did use bone and other hard animal materials in their tool-making. However, the new discovery, led by Luc Doyon of the University of Montreal’s Department of Anthropology, provides one of the most compelling pieces of evidence to date, potentially reshaping our understanding of Neanderthal behavior and cognitive complexity.
This particular bone tool, crafted from the left femur of an adult reindeer, reveals an intentional, multi-functional design. Its well-preserved state provides insights into its history and use. Marks on the bone indicate that Neanderthals first used it for butchering meat and cracking open bones to extract marrow, key sources of nutrition. Additionally, the tool bears distinct percussion marks, which suggest it was also employed for sharpening the cutting edges of stone tools. Beyond these uses, chipping and substantial polish on the bone’s surface indicate that it was likely used as a scraper. The range of functions embodied in this single tool implies that Neanderthals were capable of recognizing and exploiting the potential of available materials for various tasks, making practical and innovative use of animal bones.
This discovery also brings a significant shift in our perception of Neanderthal intelligence and adaptability. Doyon emphasized that the tool’s presence in a context where stone tools were abundant points to an opportunistic choice on the part of Neanderthals to repurpose the bone. Such behavior suggests that they were not simply passive users of their environment but actively engaged in modifying materials based on their physical properties, displaying a level of foresight and resourcefulness previously attributed solely to early modern humans.
Perhaps one of the most profound implications of this finding is its impact on the assumed cognitive and technological gap between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. For decades, the prevailing view held that Neanderthals lacked the innovative capacities of Homo sapiens, particularly in the area of tool production. However, the discovery of this multi-purpose bone tool suggests that Neanderthals possessed a more complex behavioral repertoire than previously believed. This realization challenges the idea of a linear progression in human evolution, where each subsequent species is seen as more advanced than the last. Instead, it supports a more nuanced view that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens may have shared a similar capacity for technological and behavioral innovation, with each adapting their skills to their unique environments and needs.
This new understanding also highlights the flexibility and adaptability of Neanderthal communities. Their use of bone for specific purposes, coupled with their well-documented use of stone, paints a picture of a group capable of responding creatively to their surroundings. Far from being intellectually inferior to modern humans, Neanderthals may have possessed the practical knowledge to modify available resources to meet various needs, blurring the once-distinct line between their technological capabilities and those of early Homo sapiens.
Ultimately, the discovery of this Neanderthal-made bone tool deepens our appreciation for the complexity of prehistoric human life. It suggests that our species may not have held a monopoly on ingenuity and adaptability and that the cognitive abilities required to produce complex tools may have been shared among several human lineages. As research on Neanderthal artifacts continues, discoveries like this one challenge us to rethink the evolutionary pathways that led to modern human behavior and to recognize that the foundations of our technological heritage may have roots extending further back than we once thought.
Source: University of Montreal