Neanderthal cuisine: Excavations reveal Neanderthals were as intelligent as Homo sapiens

Phys dot org ^ | October 13, 2023 | University of Trento

[SunkenCiv]

The oldest layers of the Gruta de Oliveira, which includes a number of passages, date back to about 120,000 years ago, the most recent to about 40,000: It is believed that Neanderthals inhabited this place between 100,000 and 70,000 years ago...

In this case however, what caught the attention of archaeologists were the traces of hearths intentionally built and used in the cave. The archaeologists found about a dozen hearths at various stratigraphic levels in an excavation area of about 30 square meters and six meters deep. The unmistakable basin-like, circular structures were filled with remains.

Findings from inside and near the hearths demonstrate that the inhabitants of the caves used to cook their food...

What did Neanderthals eat? "We were able to find out what they ate and even the cooking techniques they used. We found the remains and burnt bones of cooked goats, deer, horses, aurochs (extinct bulls), rhinos, turtles, which were probably laid on their carapace and stewed on hot stones."

"Meat was on the menu in this inland cave, but in other excavations in caves overlooking the western Mediterranean Sea near Cartagena (Spain), remains of fish, mussels and mollusks, even roasted pine nuts, were found. We had already demonstrated in 2020 in another paper that appeared in Science that Neanderthals had a varied diet, but the Portuguese excavations have further confirmed that they used fire to cook food."

Despite the excavations, the archaeologists were not able to determine how the Neanderthals started a fire...

Excavating a series of layers that cover 30,000 years, however, gave archaeologists the opportunity to compare the data with other sites in the same area that date back to Upper Paleolithic and involve a more recent period, where Homo sapiens were confirmed in the area.

[SunkenCiv]

Excavation in the Gruta de Oliveira.

Credit: João Zilhão

[4Liberty]

You’re busy today! 😊

[SunkenCiv]

The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, alpha sort:

• The Brandenburg Stone: Proof of the Prince Madoc Legend? (Southern Indiana) [10/20/2023]
• Byzantine Abbey Identified in Black Sea Port City [10/22/2023]
• Crusade period grave field and a sword discovered in Finland [10/22/2023]
• The Domus Tiberiana: Palace of Tiberius [10/18/2023]
• A 15th century French painting depicts an ancient stone tool [10/22/2023]
• Genetic study suggests present-day Lebanese descend from biblical Canaanites. Researchers analysed DNA ... that more than 90% of Lebanese ancestry is from ancient Canaanite populations. [10/17/2023]
• Jews and Arabs Descended from Canaanites [06/19/2021]
• Man searching carrot field finds ancient gold and bronze jewelry -- and multiple teeth [10/19/2023]
• Mysterious and Life-size camel carvings have been found in Saudi Arabian desert [10/19/2023]
• New dating of cave art reveals history of Puerto Rican people [10/22/2023]
• New research shows the Vikings were in Newfoundland exactly 1,000 years ago (Vikings score again!) [10/15/2023]
• Research finds dramatic increase in cranial traumas as the first cities were being built, suggesting a rise in violence [10/17/2023]
• Research Suggests Stonehenge Altar Stone is Not From Wales [10/22/2023]
• Serpents that bit ancient Egyptians slither into focus [10/18/2023]
• Strangely Engraved Rock Is Giant 'Treasure Map', Archaeologists Say [10/18/2023]
• Two Million Years Ago, This Homo Erectus Lived the High Life [10/22/2023]
• Utah Indicts Four on 'Conspiracy Against the United States' After They Allegedly Stole Over $1 Million in Dinosaur Bones, Tried to Sell Them to China [10/20/2023]
• When excavators uncovered an 'ancient British city' near Edinburgh Airport [10/22/2023]

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, and I’m now going to take a nap. :^)

[oldasrocks]

So that puts them at an average IQ of 80?

[SunkenCiv]

“Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize that half the people are stupider than that.” — George Carlin

[MeanWestTexan]

I suspect they were smarter. And certainly tougher.

They were not, however, great at having babies.

[Paladin2]

They continuously elected ‘Rats to run their cities?

[null and void]

“Despite the excavations, the archaeologists were not able to determine how the Neanderthals started a fire...”

Rae Dawn Chong showed them how.

[PIF]

So that puts them at an average IQ of 80?
—

hard to justify that as they had larger brains then we do.

[DannyTN]

I told you not to let your kids marry those homos. Now we are going to go extinct.

[Openurmind]

Homo Erectus was more intelligent than most the people I talk to daily...

[Honorary Serb]

.....Neanderthals were as intelligent as Homo sapiens.....

Yes! And they are among our ancestors!

Svante Pääbo is the one who first showed that, and he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2022.

Neanderthals may have been as intelligent as Homo sapiens, but they were far away from developing the technology and science that enabled Svante Pääbo. But so were Paleolithic-era Homo sapiens!

[M Kehoe]

Great article.

My wife calls me a Neanderthal all the time.

Honey...! Come see this.

5.56mm

[bunkerhill7]

“Despite the excavations, the archaeologists were not able to determine how the Neanderthals started a fire...”
There are 54 ancient volcanoes in Spain...
They didnt even check for lava residue ?
morons...
My cat is smarter tnan these guys.

[schaef21]

Neanderthals made tools, musical instruments and cosmetics. They buried their dead and had control of fire.

They were human.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Excavations reveal Neanderthals were as intelligent as Homo sapiens

You look at Homo sapiens in the year 2023 and that's not saying much.

[Sacajaweau]

You are born with all the concepts of knowledge. Need brings it out. Morality is different. People were cannibals...until someone said....that doesn’t seem right...and decided Angus tasted better.

[Savage Beast]

"They continuously elected ‘Rats to run their cities?"

Yes, and they're still doing it.

[SunkenCiv]

The Neandertals had a lot of time to figure out the making of fire. It’s not unlikely that their firemaking skills were passed down to all their descendants, which includes us.