Large-scale processing of within-bone nutrients by Neanderthals, 125,000 years ago.

Area of Science:

• Paleoanthropology
• Archaeology
• Human Evolution

Background:

• Diet is fundamental to human evolution and understanding past subsistence strategies.
• Lipids, particularly from animal sources, are vital for hunter-gatherer diets.
• Resource intensification, like bone grease production, is known in the Upper Paleolithic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Neanderthal subsistence strategies during the Last Interglacial.
• To identify evidence of resource intensification practices among Neanderthals.
• To determine if bone grease extraction predates the Upper Paleolithic.

Main Methods:

• Archaeological excavation at the Neumark-Nord lake landscape site.
• Analysis of faunal remains, including at least 172 large mammals.
• Identification of a specialized site for nutrient extraction from animal carcasses.

Main Results:

• Evidence of large-scale processing of mammal carcasses at a water's edge site.
• Discovery of a
• fat factory
• indicating systematic bone grease rendering.
• This practice predates previously known occurrences in the Upper Paleolithic.

Conclusions:

• Last Interglacial Neanderthals engaged in sophisticated resource exploitation, including bone grease production.
• The Neumark-Nord site demonstrates a specialized location for lipid extraction, highlighting Neanderthal adaptability.
• This finding expands our understanding of Neanderthal behavior and technological capabilities.