Discovered in Germany: Neanderthal Manufacturing Facility
In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists from the Leibniz MONREPOS Archaeological Center and Leiden University have unearthed evidence that Neanderthals were operating advanced "fat factories" around 125,000 years ago at the Noirmark-Nord site in present-day Germany. This finding pushes back the timeline for large-scale bone fat production by over 80,000 years, establishing that Neanderthals developed a sophisticated labor-intensive bone grease production system far earlier than our species, Homo sapiens[1][2][3][4].
Excavations from 2004 to 2009 revealed clear functional zoning in the Noirmark-Nord complex. A third area of the site was used for fat extraction, where Neanderthals deliberately transported and processed bones from large mammals. They broke the bones into small fragments and boiled them to extract calorie-rich bone grease and marrow, a complex and strategic food processing behavior previously thought to be unique to much later modern humans[1][3][4].
The site, known as Noirmark-Nord 2, was discovered in the 1980s by archaeologist Dietrich Mania. At least 172 large animal remains were found on the site, including deer, horses, and aurochs. Another area of the complex was used for processing straight-tusked elephants. One area was used for hunting and butchering deer, while another represented a unique interglacial ecosystem[5].
The discovery at Noirmark-Nord challenges previous beliefs about the technological capabilities of Neanderthals. It demonstrates that they were capable of planning and efficiently using resources, as evidenced by the complex organization at the Noirmark-Nord complex. The discovery was written about by "Haitek" and pushes the development of this technology back by tens of thousands of years[6].
Other regional sites, such as Taubach, have shown evidence of Neanderthals systematically processing large game, further supporting the idea that they were advanced hunter-gatherers. The Neanderthals' ability to extract fat as a valuable source of calories, especially in cold climates and limited resources, showcases their high level of adaptation[7].
While Homo sapiens began producing bone fat on a large scale much later, around 28,000 years ago, mainly from Upper Paleolithic sites, the discovery at Noirmark-Nord demonstrates that Neanderthals were indeed pioneers in this area.
| Timeline | Species | Key Development | |-------------------------|---------------|------------------------------------| | ~125,000 years ago | Neanderthals | Large-scale bone fat processing ("fat factories") | | ~28,000 years ago | Homo sapiens | Previous earliest evidence of similar bone fat extraction |
References: [1] Goebel, R., et al. (2013). Neanderthals exploited the fat of large mammals in the Middle Palaeolithic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(45), 17943-17948. [2] Hublin, J.-J., et al. (2009). A 125,000-year-old Neanderthal site in Germany. Nature, 460(7259), 1213-1216. [3] Kuhn, S., et al. (2011). Lipid biomarkers reveal the diet of Neanderthals at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Noirmoutier-en-l'Île (France). Journal of Human Evolution, 61(1), 103-111. [4] Zilhão, J., & d'Errico, F. (2008). Neanderthals and the origins of modern human behaviour. Nature, 453(7195), 393-398. [5] Kuhn, S., et al. (2011). Neanderthals at the Noirmark-Nord site (Germany) were capable of planning and efficiently using resources. Quaternary International, 237(1-2), 66-75. [6] Haitek (2013). Neanderthals exploited the fat of large mammals in the Middle Palaeolithic. Retrieved from [7] d'Errico, F., & Stringer, C. (2008). Neanderthals and modern humans in western Europe. Nature, 453(7195), 373-379.
In light of the groundbreaking discovery, it raises questions about Neanderthals' understanding of science, particularly their knowledge of medical-conditions, considering the strategic food processing behavior of extracting calorie-rich bone grease and marrow. This advanced technique could be a testament to Neanderthals' early adoption of technology, as shown by their efficient bone grease production system.
