Archaeologists from the University of Burgos discovered 15 marine fossils in a Neanderthal cave in northern Spain, suggesting that Neanderthals may have been capable of abstract thought long before their interactions with modern humans. The study, published in the journal Quaternary, provides insights into the habits and behaviors of Neanderthals, particularly their cognitive abilities and social cohesion, according to Express.co.uk.
The fossils were found in the Prado Vargas Cave in Burgos, Spain, within clay and indigenous cave sediments. Of the 15 marine fossils discovered, all belong to the phylum Mollusca except one from the phylum Echinodermata, as reported by La Razón.
Researchers believe these marine fossils were deliberately collected by Neanderthals, despite holding no practical value. This suggests that they may have collected items out of curiosity and for pleasure, not guided by practical considerations. This behavior indicates a level of cognitive capability and abstract thinking, as collecting trinkets may not physically sustain humans but signifies complex thought, according to Popular Science.
Professor Marta Navazo from the University of Burgos coordinated the study. The findings are unique, as most Neanderthal sites had only one or two objects, whereas the Prado Vargas Cave yielded 15 fossils, reported Science Times.
Researchers have hypothesized that the fossils were collected for reasons beyond necessity, potentially for aesthetic enjoyment or to assign them a form of symbolic value. “They might have been objects of play, or may even have had a magical-religious role,” the researchers suggested, according to Popular Science.
The behavior of collecting fossils seems to be a shared characteristic between humans and Neanderthals, with evidence suggesting that Neanderthal children may have played a role in collecting these fossils, as similar behaviors are common among young modern humans. This hypothesis is supported by the idea that children, curious by nature, are often fascinated by objects that are out of the ordinary, as noted by SciencePost.
The fossils are mostly mollusks and echinoderms, including remains of species such as early sea snails and saltwater clams. The family Tylostomatidae is best represented among the gastropods, which are snails that inhabited the surface of shallow marine bottoms millions of years ago, according to La Razón.
The Neanderthals of the Prado Vargas Cave lived there between 54,600 and 39,800 years ago, during which they engaged in continuous journeys through the territory in search of food, wood to make their spears, or flint to carve their tools, leading them to locate several fossil deposits, as reported by Scienze Notizie.
The fossils come from a period and place with no known presence of Homo sapiens, specifically from the Late Cretaceous, between 100 and 66 million years ago, when this part of the Iberian Peninsula was submerged and formed part of a sea. Over time, tectonic movements and the erosive action of water elevated and modified these calcareous strata, as explained by La Razón.
Researchers theorize that the act of collecting these fossils may have been motivated by numerous tangible and intangible causes, suggesting advanced cognitive abilities and social cohesion among Neanderthals before the arrival of modern humans. This suggests that Neanderthals independently developed behaviors associated with abstract thought, rather than adopting them from Homo sapiens, according to Science Times.
Previous studies have hinted at Neanderthals’ cognitive complexity, noting their use of feathers, claws, and shells for decoration and their burial practices. As scientists continue to uncover these details, it becomes increasingly clear that Neanderthals shared far more with modern humans than previously thought.
The discovery raises the question of whether Neanderthals had a taste for symbolic objects long before the appearance of Homo sapiens, as collecting requires that objects be invested with symbolic meaning. If the collection of fossils by Neanderthals was motivated by symbolic reasons, it could have profound implications for how we understand these hominids, challenging long-standing stereotypes about them as simple-minded or inferior to modern humans.
Despite the significance attributed to the fossils, the debate remains open on who collected them and why. The Neanderthals of this Burgos cave have become, to this day, the first collectors of fossils in our evolutionary process.
Researchers determined that of the 15 marine fossils discovered, only one showed signs of being used as a tool, while the rest appeared unaltered, further supporting the idea that they were collected for reasons beyond necessity, according to Express.co.uk.
Since the start of the excavations at the Prado Vargas Cave in 2016, more than 15,000 remains from 46,000 years ago have been recovered. In the 2019 campaign, a milk molar of Vera, an eight-year-old Neanderthal girl, was found. This is the oldest human remains discovered in the Ojo Guareña karst complex to date, as reported by La Razón.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
