New Research Shows That Neanderthal Fashion May Have Included Hyena Fur
One of the most interesting topics in the studies of human evolution is the interactions between Neanderthals and carnivores since it concerns the debate of whether prehistoric humans were hunters or gatherers.
Previously, it was assumed that Neanderthals living in the area now known as Madrid wore the skin of strictly herbivorous mammals, like deer or bovine, to stay warm in the Iberian mountains.
But, new research has shown that Neanderthal fashion may have also included the furs of hyenas.
The study was published in the Quaternary Science Reviews. According to the study, researchers found evidence of animal pelts at the Navalmaíllo Rock Shelter, which was first discovered in 2002 and once served as a Neanderthal hunting camp.
The remains of several plant-eating animals that had been butchered and skinned were unearthed in a layer of soil that dated between 66,000 and 83,000 years ago.
Among the remains were a hyena paw bone with markings that appeared to be from Neanderthal tools or biting from other animals.
The authors of the study used an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to determine whether the modifications were made by humans.
The investigation revealed that all the marks were cuts produced by Neanderthal stone tools. In addition, the positioning and orientation of the cuts on the hyena paw bone indicated that they were related to skinning activity.
The bone did not show signs of being cracked open to reach the marrow. The observation suggests that the Neanderthals did not eat the hyena, and it was only used for its pelt. Hyena fur may have been desirable because of the cold, icy conditions at the hunting camp.
tiero – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
“This site is located in an area where the use of fire in combination with skins as cloths or as bed covers could be key in order to survive,” the researchers wrote.
Until recently, there has not been much proof of Neanderthals using carnivorous creatures for food or clothing.
There are three other cases in which hyena remains were uncovered at Neanderthal sites, but it is the first time that evidence of a hyena used only for its pelt was found.
Additionally, at a Neanderthal cave in Spain, a pile of hyena bones seemed to have been butchered for meat.
In France, a discovery involving modified hyena bones was interpreted as a symbolic practice. Some experts speculated that the marks on the bones might be a numerical notation system.
Researchers believe that the use of a carnivore pelt could also have symbolic purposes. This idea is highly debated among the scientific community.
However, there is not enough evidence at the Navalmaíllo Rock Shelter to explore the possibility, so it is “more likely that the use of the hyena pelt was mainly opportunistic.”
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