The find is the earliest known evidence of textile and cord making and suggests that Neanderthals were perhaps much smarter than we thought. Neanderthals, an extinct species of human that was widely distributed in ice-age Europe between 120,000 and 35,000 years ago, are often considered as less technologically advanced than modern humans.
But that is changing. “The idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans is becoming increasingly untenable,” researchers wrote in a new study published last Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. Typically only faunal remains or stone tools are found at Paleolithic sites.
Perishable materials, comprising the vast majority of material culture items, are typically missing. Individual twisted fibres on stone tools from the prehistoric cave site of Abri du Maras in the south of France led to the hypothesis of Neanderthal string production in the past, but conclusive evidence was lacking.
The latest study shows direct evidence of fibre technology in the form of a 3-ply cord fragment made from inner bark fibres on a stone tool recovered in situ from the same site. Twisted fibres provide the basis for clothing, rope, bags, nets, mats, boats, etc. which, once discovered, would have become an indispensable part of daily life. Understanding and use of twisted fibres implies the use of complex multi-component technology as well as a mathematical understanding of pairs, sets, and numbers. Added to recent evidence of birch bark tar, art, and shell beads, Neanderthals are getting more respect.
Scientists have been digging at Abri du Maras since 2006. Aside from the yarn, the site has revealed extensive findings dating from about 40,000 to 90,000 years ago. Neanderthals who once lived there exploited plants, fish, and small game. Researchers said the 6mm-long cord is made from fibres taken from the inner bark of a tree, likely a conifer. They believe that the cord was wrapped around the tool as a handle or was part of a net or bag containing the tool. “It’s impossible that nature made this twisted fibre,” said study author Marie-Helene Moncel, who is a director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.
The research suggests that production of the cord would have required extensive knowledge of the growth and seasonality of the trees used. “In order to get this fibre, you have to strip the outer bark off a tree to scrape off the inner bark. This is best done in spring or early summer,” said Bruce Hardy, a professor of anthropology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and a co-author of the study.
“It opens a new window on the cognition of Neanderthals and their ability to organise their way of life,” said Moncel. Prior to this discovery, the oldest discovered fibre fragments in the Ohalo II prehistoric site in Israel dated back to around 19,000 years ago. The findings of the new study suggest that fibre technology is much older.
Given the ongoing revelations of Neanderthal art and technology, it is difficult to see how we can regard Neanderthals as anything other than the cognitive equals of modern humans. Excavations at Abri du Maras are ongoing. The team is now examining levels of the earth that are 90,000-years-old — where Hardy expects to find further examples of ancient behaviour. More suspense and excitement are in store, it seems.