An ancient engraved bone suggests Neanderthals practiced symbolic expression
In short: Researchers studying a 51,000-year-old bone found in a German cave discovered an engraved giant deer toe bone. The discovery of these deliberate incisions in a Middle Palaeolithic context suggests that Neanderthals possessed the capacity for conceptual imagination and symbolic meaning long before modern humans arrived in Central Europe.
The study analyzed an incised phalanx from a giant deer found at the Einhornhöhle cave entrance. By using radiocarbon dating, researchers confirmed the object is at least 51,000 years old. This find is significant because it provides rare evidence of Neanderthal cognitive complexity, though the archaeological context remains linked to a specific period and location.
Why it matters: Neanderthals may have possessed the cognitive capacity for symbolic thought before modern humans reached Central Europe.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Leder et al. (2021). A 51,000-year-old engraved bone reveals Neanderthals’ capacity for symbolic behaviour. Nature Ecology & Evolution. · cc-by-sa
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