Neanderthals were not dumb: Ancient health factory, used by prehistoric humans, found in Germany
Stone Age humans living near a lake in present-day Germany ran a “fat factory” to extract nutrients from animal bones, a new study shows. Archaeologists found about 1.2 lakh bone pieces and 16,000 flint tools at a site called Neumark-Nord.
Neanderthals crushed bones to get marrow, boiled them for hours and collected fat from the surface. This process needed planning: hunting, storing and setting up a special area. Fire use was also found at the site.
Scientists say this proves Neanderthals were smart and well-organised. They were not primitive, as often believed. Their skills helped them survive tough conditions with well-thought-out strategies.
“This attitude that Neanderthals were dumb — this is another data point that proves otherwise,” CNN quoted study coauthor Wil Roebroeks as saying.
Neanderthals lived in Eurasia and vanished 40,000 years ago. Earlier studies found they made yarn, glue, jewellery and cave art. New research reveals they also had a clever way of managing nutrition.
At the site in Germany, they boiled bones to get fat, which helped balance their diet. Experts say they likely knew that eating only lean meat without fat could be harmful.
This condition is now called protein poisoning. It causes weakness and can even be fatal. Early explorers called it “rabbit poisoning” when they faced similar problems from fatless meat.
Neanderthals, who weighed between 50 to 80 kg, could only eat a limited amount of protein daily. They ate protein around 300 grams without health problems.
This gave them just 1,200 calories, which was not enough for survival. So, they needed extra energy from fat or carbs. Since animal meat has little fat, they relied on bones for marrow.
Researchers found most bone remains at the German site came from large animals like horses, deer and extinct aurochs. Neanderthals mainly picked long bones with more marrow. It shows they smartly chose fatty parts to meet their energy needs for survival.
Smart survival strategies
Researchers are not fully sure how Neanderthals boiled bones. However, they likely used natural containers like birch bark, animal skin or stomach linings to hold water over the fire.
They might have made a fatty soup or broth, adding plants like hazelnuts, acorns, or wild fruits for taste and nutrition. These findings show that Neanderthals were not just basic hunter-gatherers. They planned well, did complex tasks and made full use of their resources.
Their smart survival strategies helped them get the most energy from their environment. Archaeologists have called these discoveries “exciting”. They believe it’s a big step in understanding early human intelligence and planning.
