Neanderthals understood how to control fire and utilized it to prepare food. Neanderthals were capable of symbolic thought, might produce artistic things, understood how to decorate their bodies utilizing individual accessories, and had an extremely varied diet. How did we discover that Neanderthals knew how to use fire? In this research study, we demonstrate that there is no doubt that Neanderthals could make a fire and that fire was a central component in their daily life.”
We had actually already demonstrated in 2020 in another paper that appeared in Science that Neanderthals had a different diet plan, however the Portuguese excavations have even more verified that they utilized fire to cook food.”
How did we discover that Neanderthals knew how to use fire? “There is a basic agreement among archaeologists that they knew how to use fire. However, one thing is to utilize fire begun by natural processes, such as lightning, another is to make it, feed it with wood, and utilize it for heating, cooking, and defense. In this study, we show that there is no doubt that Neanderthals might make a fire and that fire was a central element in their every day life.”
Twenty years of excavations
The article documents and compares the remains of structured fires found in the exact same area: the Gruta de Oliveira in main Portugal, one of the most important European historical sites for the Middle Palaeolithic. What is so extraordinary about this cave is that excavations were carried out methodically and with great precision for more than twenty years between 1989 and 2012.
The works were led by a worldwide group of archaeologists supervised by João Zilhão (University of Lisbon), who authored the study together with Diego Angelucci (UniTrento) and Mariana Nabais (IPHES, Catalan Institute for Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, Tarragona).
Excavation in the Gruta de Oliveira. Credit: João Zilhão
The cave belongs to the Almonda karst system, a vast network of caves positioned at various elevations above a large spring that has been populated in different periods throughout Prehistory. The oldest layers of the Gruta de Oliveira, which includes a number of passages, go back to about 120,000 years back, the most current to about 40,000: it is thought that Neanderthals occupied this place between 100,000 and 70,000 years ago.
” For us, Almonda is a present that keeps providing for the variety and amount of artifacts and remains that we have discovered throughout the years: from the remains going back to the Lower Palaeolithic to the broken stones of the Mousterian culture, there is really whatever,” Angelucci remarks.
Hearths and food stays
In this case, however, what captured the attention of archaeologists were the traces of hearths purposefully constructed and used in the cavern. The archaeologists found about a dozen hearths at various stratigraphic levels in an excavation area of about 30 square meters and 6 meters deep.
Excavation in the Gruta de Oliveira. Credit: João Zilhão
The unmistakable basin-like, circular structures were filled with remains. Findings from within and near the hearths demonstrate that the occupants of the caverns used to prepare their food: “We discovered charred bones, scorched wood, and ash remains. And the rock beneath– continues Angelucci– has been reddened by the heat: this is an important detail because it tells us that the structure remains in a primary position. And it has always existed. Fire is an essential aspect in their day-to-day lives. It makes the location comfortable and helps socialization. It returns that basic concept of “home” that maybe could likewise use to them.”
A diverse diet
What did Neanderthals eat? We had already demonstrated in 2020 in another paper that appeared in Science that Neanderthals had a diverse diet plan, however the Portuguese excavations have actually even more confirmed that they used fire to cook food.”
Excavation in the Gruta de Oliveira. Credit: João Zilhão
In spite of the excavations, the archaeologists were unable to figure out how the Neanderthals started a fire.
” Perhaps they did as in Neolithic times, striking flint rocks versus another rock to throw triggers on a tinder, such as a dry nest for instance. This is an ancient method that was found by studying Ötzi, the Ice Man. Far, however, we have actually discovered no proof of this.”
Excavating a series of layers that cover 30,000 years, however, provided archaeologists the opportunity to compare the information with other sites in the same area that date back to Upper Palaeolithic and involve a more current period, where Homo Sapiens were verified in the location.
” We discovered no difference: they lived in the collapse comparable methods. Their abilities are also an indication of intelligence. They did not come from different types, I would state that they were various human kinds.”
Gruta de Oliveira. Credit: João Zilhão
The study
This short article represents the end of a long information analysis work that took a look at thirty years of findings. The Portuguese team of João Zilhão studied the stone tools, while Mariana Nabais evaluated the bone remains and performed spatial analyses to examine the position of the finds in the cave and the location of the fires. The research group of the University of Trento (Department of Humanities) concentrated on stratigraphy and tiny studies.
” We count on the methods of interdisciplinary archaeology: initial on-site studies, precise excavation, accurate positioning of all the finds, organized sieving, the accurate method of gathering data in the field, the collection of samples for subsequent analysis under the microscopic lense or in the laboratory: this type of archaeology is performed with the most innovative methods. They require time and resources and this is what we teach our students.”
Recommendation: “Formation procedures, fire usage, and patterns of human profession across the Middle Palaeolithic (MIS 5a-5b) of Gruta da Oliveira (Almonda karst system, Torres Novas, Portugal)” by Diego E. Angelucci, Mariana Nabais and João Zilhão, 11 October 2023, PLOS ONE.DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0292075.
Neanderthal restoration made by Brother Kennis for the Neanderthal Museum Credit: Neanderthal Museum.
Neanderthals knew how to manage fire and utilized it to prepare food. Scientists have actually discovered about their practices and diet plan from the traces discovered near hearths. Angelucci: “More than various species, I would mention various human types.”
The truth that Neanderthals had the ability to make a fire and utilize it, among other things, for cooking, demonstrates their intelligence.
Evidence from a two-decade excavation in Portugal reveals Neanderthals smartly utilized fire, showing skills comparable to later on Homo Sapiens.
” This validates our observations and theories from previous research studies– discusses Diego Angelucci, archaeologist at the University of Trento and co-author of the study. Neanderthals can symbolic idea, might create artistic things, understood how to embellish their bodies utilizing personal ornaments, and had an incredibly diverse diet. Include to that that, based upon our findings, we can say with certainty that they habitually consumed cooked food. This capability confirms that they were as knowledgeable as the sapiens who lived millennia later.”