Fossils From A Spanish Cave Indicate That Neanderthals Were Able To Think Abstractly
Fossils from a Spanish cave have been newly analyzed, and it was found that Neanderthals were possibly capable of abstract thought before running into Homo sapiens. In the Prado Vargas Cave in Burgos, a total of 15 small marine fossils were discovered.
According to researchers from the University of Burgos and the University of Málaga in Spain, most of the bones would not have had any practical purpose for the ancient hominins who collected them.
This means that the fossilized sea creatures were intentionally gathered for some other reason besides essential utility.
The finding points to the idea of Neanderthals having abstract thought, a key human characteristic that involves thinking beyond current and immediate experience.
“The fossils, with one exception, show no evidence of having been used as tools,” wrote the researchers of the study. “Thus, their presence in the cave could be attributed to collecting activities.”
“These activities could have been motivated by numerous tangible and intangible causes, which suggest that collecting activities and the associated abstract thinking were present in Neanderthals before the arrival of modern humans.”
It seems that our distant relatives were smarter than we originally thought. It is not the first time that Neanderthals have shown evidence of collecting items that are not tools, but this haul is larger than previous ones.
The fossils date back around 39,800 to 54,600 years ago, and they appear to have been part of a community camp.
The researchers speculate that the bones could have served as decoration, were used for trading and gifts, or they may have given the group cultural identity. They could have even been toys for kids since there were signs of children living in the cave.
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“They might have been found intentionally or by chance, but their transport to the cave must have been deliberate, implying an impulse to collect these fossils,” wrote the researchers. “In either case, they would represent a special meaning.”
There was no evidence of human activity in the area at that time, which is significant because it suggests that Neanderthals developed the behavior all on their own.
The human instinct to collect stuff goes way back, possibly as far as half a million years ago. Many experts debate over when exactly it began and with which species.
The fossil discoveries at Prado Vargas provide intriguing insights into when early humans started gathering materials and considering concepts beyond just their immediate survival. They expand our understanding of ancient behaviors.
Overall, these fossils might represent evidence of an artistic interest or a curiosity about nature. Since they lack any clear practical use, they can be interpreted in various ways, making their purpose open to debate.
The details of this latest research were published in the journal Quaternary.
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