New research sheds light on the diversity of Neanderthal hunting practices

Neanderthal hunting strategies may have been more complex than we previously realized

A new study

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has found clues to the behavioral variability of Neanderthal hunting parties by analyzing the remains left by the successive visits of Neanderthal groups at a site in Spain. The study found that the remains were not evenly distributed, suggesting that Neanderthals used different strategies for hunting and processing their prey. The study also found that the Neanderthals at the site may have been part of a larger group, as the remains suggest that they were not all present at the site at the same time.

a-c Various lithic tool assemblages/ Mario Torquemada and d-g) traces of faunal remains. Credit: Abel Moclán

The study's findings provide new insights into the behavior of Neanderthals and suggest that they were more complex than previously thought.

1. Abel Moclán et al, Identifying activity areas in a neanderthal hunting camp (the Navalmaíllo Rock Shelter, Spain) via spatial analysis, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01746-z