Posted on 07/15/2025 3:23:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Evidence continues to mount that Neanderthals were a much more intelligent species than scientists originally suspected. Popular Science reports that archaeologists uncovered a remarkable, multifunctional tool from Belgium's Scladina Cave. The utensil was fashioned from the tibia of an extinct cave lion 130,000 years ago and had four different functional components. Researchers believe that it may have originally been created for use in tasks such as chiseling, but as some of the points wore down, they were reshaped and repurposed for other jobs, such as sharpening and retouching flints. According to the report, the team stated that "the intentional transformation of lion bones into functional tools highlights Neanderthals' cognitive skills, adaptability, and capacity for resource utilization beyond their immediate survival needs." Read the original scholarly article about this research in Scientific Reports. For more, go to "Neanderthal Tool Time."
(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.org ...
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Four bone retouchers (A–D) carved from a cave lion tibia (E)Abrams et al. 2025, Scientific Reports
Sometimes you have to mend and make do.
The first finding of a Neanderthal Swiss Army Bone Tool.
Used to be ubiquitous in the region.
...Around 125,000 years ago, these ancient humans established a "fat factory," a practice that may have helped them avoid a potentially fatal condition known as protein poisoning.
The study, published in the journal Science on July 2, highlights how Neanderthals extracted fat from animal bones to supplement their protein-heavy diet. This method may have been a critical strategy to avoid protein poisoning, also known as rabbit starvation, which occurs when an animal's protein intake exceeds the necessary balance of fat and carbohydrates. Neanderthals, primarily carnivores, would have been especially vulnerable to this condition if they consumed too much meat without enough fat.
This "fat factory" discovery points to an innovative solution for obtaining calories from animal remains. Neanderthals were likely aware of the importance of fat, which provides more than double the calories per gram than proteins or carbohydrates. In times when food was scarce, such practices may have ensured their survival.
The archaeological team uncovered the remains of 172 large animals, including horses, deer, and cattle, at the Neumark-Nord site in central Germany. Alongside these bones, the researchers found Neanderthal-made tools such as anvils and hammerstones. A closer analysis of the bones revealed that Neanderthals did not just consume the meat; they crushed the bones to extract marrow, a soft, edible tissue, before boiling them to extract the fat...
This method of extracting marrow and fat also speaks to their advanced understanding of nutrition and caloric needs—an understanding that echoes modern survival strategies.Credit: Science Advances
Thanks for the link!
Sears Cro-Magnon-Man tools. Lifetime guarantee.
Ingenious as in it worked on both both metric and SAE fasteners.
Why they put a phillips head driver on it is still being debated.
Rark say “it not ingenious, it so easy, cave man Groof make one, too”
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So that's where I left it.
It does surprise me that people are repeatedly astounded that the guys who made complex tools, controlled fire, communicated, made art and made clothing were people.
Should I blame Hollywood or the school system?
I love shindigs, that’s why i became an archeologist
Neanderthal scientist say: only 10 year until wheel in every cave.
I’m seeing evidence that sapiens had bows and arrows 53000 years ago. That’s far superior technology than the spear the neanderthals had. Its even greater than the advantage the steppe people had with chariots and horses, and their metallurgy skills. (plus they were head and shoulders bigger than eveyone else.
First off, it can’t be 130,000 years old for the simple reason it would have been fossilized...
Second, if it’s not fossilized it can’t be 130,000 years old...
Third, Neanderthals were humans just like everyone else...
I still remember when they thought Aborigines were missing links...
See: Quigley down under...
First off, no it wouldn’t have to be fossilized.
I'm sure killing a mammoth with a spear works, and trying to kill it with a bow and arrow wouldn't.
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