A 51,000-year-old engraved bone reveals Neanderthals' capacity for symbolic behaviour.
Journal
Nature ecology & evolution
ISSN: 2397-334X
Titre abrégé: Nat Ecol Evol
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101698577
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 2021
09 2021
Historique:
received:
25
10
2020
accepted:
07
05
2021
pubmed:
7
7
2021
medline:
2
10
2021
entrez:
6
7
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
While there is substantial evidence for art and symbolic behaviour in early Homo sapiens across Africa and Eurasia, similar evidence connected to Neanderthals is sparse and often contested in scientific debates. Each new discovery is thus crucial for our understanding of Neanderthals' cognitive capacity. Here we report on the discovery of an at least 51,000-year-old engraved giant deer phalanx found at the former cave entrance of Einhornhöhle, northern Germany. The find comes from an apparent Middle Palaeolithic context that is linked to Neanderthals. The engraved bone demonstrates that conceptual imagination, as a prerequisite to compose individual lines into a coherent design, was present in Neanderthals. Therefore, Neanderthal's awareness of symbolic meaning is very likely. Our findings show that Neanderthals were capable of creating symbolic expressions before H. sapiens arrived in Central Europe.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34226702
doi: 10.1038/s41559-021-01487-z
pii: 10.1038/s41559-021-01487-z
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1273-1282Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Type : ErratumIn
Informations de copyright
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
Références
Higham, T. et al. Testing models for the beginnings of the Aurignacian and the advent of figurative art and music: the radiocarbon chronology of Geißenklösterle. J. Hum. Evol. 62, 664–676 (2012).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.03.003
pubmed: 22575323
Higham, T. et al. The timing and spatiotemporal patterning of Neanderthal disappearance. Nature 512, 306–309 (2014).
doi: 10.1038/nature13621
pubmed: 25143113
Jöris, O., Neugebauer-Maresch, C., Weninger, B. & Street, M. in New Aspects of the Central and Eastern European Upper Palaeolithic: Methods, Chronology, Technology and Subsistence (eds Neugebauer-Maresch, C. & Owen, L. R.) 101–137 (Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission 72, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna, 2010).
Moreau, L. & Terberger, T. in Palethnologie du Paléolithique Supérieur Ancien: Où en Sommes Nous? (eds Bodu, P. et al.) 85–96 (INRAP, 2019).
Nigst, P. R. et al. Early modern human settlement of Europe north of the Alps occurred 43,500 years ago in a cold steppe-type environment. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 111, 14394–14399 (2014).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1412201111
pubmed: 25246543
pmcid: 4209988
Valladas, H. & Clottes, J. Style, Chauvet and radiocarbon. Antiquity 77, 142–145 (2003).
doi: 10.1017/S0003598X00061433
Pike, A. W. G. et al. U-series dating of paleolithic art in 11 caves in Spain. Science 336, 1409–1413 (2012).
doi: 10.1126/science.1219957
pubmed: 22700921
Quilesa, A. et al. A high-precision chronological model for the decorated Upper Paleolithic cave of Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche, France. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 113, 4670–4675 (2016).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1523158113
Conard, N. J., Malina, M. & Münzel, S. C. New flutes document the earliest musical tradition in southwestern Germany. Nature 460, 737–740 (2009).
doi: 10.1038/nature08169
pubmed: 19553935
Floss, H. Same as it ever was? The Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura and the origins of Palaeolithic art. Quat. Int. 491, 21–29 (2018).
doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2016.12.044
Kind, C.-J., Ebinger-Rist, N., Wolf, S., Beutelspacher, T. & Wehrberger, K. The smile of the lion man: recent excavations in Stadel Cave (Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany) and the restoration of the famous Upper Palaeolithic figurine. Quartär 61, 129–145 (2014).
Conard, N. J. A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. Nature 459, 248–252 (2009).
doi: 10.1038/nature07995
pubmed: 19444215
Neugebauer-Maresch, C. Zum Neufund einer weiblichen Statuette an der Aurignac-Station Stratzing/Krems-Rehberg, Niederösterreich. Germania 67, 551–559 (1989).
Hublin, J. J. et al. Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria. Nature 581, 299–302 (2020).
doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2259-z
pubmed: 32433609
Boëda, E. Le Concept Levallois: Variabilité des Méthodes Monographie du CRA 9 (CNRS, Paris, 1994).
Muller, A., Clarkson, C. & Shipton, C. Measuring behavioural and cognitive complexity in lithic technology throughout human evolution. J. Anthropol. Archaeol. 48, 166–180 (2017).
doi: 10.1016/j.jaa.2017.07.006
Thieme, H. Lower Palaeolithic hunting spears from Germany. Nature 1997, 807–810 (1997).
doi: 10.1038/385807a0
Schoch, W. Holzanatomische Nachuntersuchungen an der eemzeitlichen Holzlanze von Lehringen, Ldkr. Verden. Nachr. Nieders Urgesch. 83, 19–29 (2014).
Gaudzinski, S. Middle Palaeolithic bone tools from the open-air site Salzgitter-Lebenstedt (Germany). J. Archaeol. Sci. 26, 125–141 (1999).
doi: 10.1006/jasc.1998.0311
Julien, A.-M. et al. Characterizing the Lower Paleolithic bone industry from Schöningen 12 II: a multi-proxy study. J. Hum. Evol. 89, 264–286 (2015).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.006
pubmed: 26651609
Schoch, W. H., Bigga, G., Böhner, U., Richter, P. & Terberger, T. New insights on the wooden weapons from the Paleolithic site of Schöningen. J. Hum. Evol. 89, 214–225 (2015).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.08.004
pubmed: 26442632
Staesche, U. in Die Tierknochenfunde der mittelpaläolithischen Jägerstation von Salzgitter-Lebenstedt (eds Ludowici, B. & Pöppelmann, H.) 71–86 (Forschungen und Berichte des Braunschweigischen Landesmuseums 1, Verlag Uwe Krebs, 2018).
van Kolfschoten, T., Parfitt, S. A., Serangeli, J. & Bello, S. M. Lower Paleolithic bone tools from the ‘Spear Horizon’ at Schöningen (Germany). J. Hum. Evol. 89, 226–263 (2015).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.09.012
pubmed: 26653208
Soressi, M. et al. Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110, 14186–14190 (2013).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1302730110
pubmed: 23940333
pmcid: 3761603
Aranguren, B. et al. Early Neanderthal wooden artifacts from Italy. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 115, 2054–2059 (2018).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1716068115
pubmed: 29432163
pmcid: 5834685
Mania, D. & Töpfer, V. Königsaue: Gliederung, Ökologie und Mittelpaläolithische Funde der letzten Eiszeit. Veröffentlichungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte in Halle 26 (VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, 1973).
Niekus, M. J. L. T. et al. Middle Paleolithic complex technology and a Neandertal tar-backed tool from the Dutch North Sea. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116, 22081–22087 (2019).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1907828116
pubmed: 31636186
pmcid: 6825292
Bar-Yosef, O. & Bordes, J. G. Who were the makers of the Châtelperronian culture? J. Hum. Evol. 59, 586–593 (2010).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.06.009
pubmed: 20692683
d’Errico, F. D., Zilhão, J., Julien, M., Baffier, D. & Pelegrin, J. Neanderthal acculturation in Western Europe? A critical review of the evidence and it’s interpretation. Curr. Anthropol. 39, S1–S44 (1998).
doi: 10.1086/204689
Zilhão, J. in Origins of Human Innovation and Creativity (ed. Elias, S.) 35–49 (Developments in Quaternary Science 16, Elsevier, 2012).
Hublin, J. J. et al. Radiocarbon dates from the Grotte du Renne and Saint-Césaire support a Neandertal origin for the Châtelperronian. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109, 18743–18748 (2012).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1212924109
pubmed: 23112183
pmcid: 3503158
Welker, F. et al. Palaeoproteomic evidence identifies archaic hominins associated with the Châtelperronian at the Grotte du Renne. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 113, 11162–11167 (2016).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1605834113
pubmed: 27638212
pmcid: 5056053
Peresani, M., Fiore, I., Gala, M., Romandini, M. & Tagliacozzo, A. Late Neandertals and the intentional removal of feathers as evidenced from bird bone taphonomy at Fumane Cave 44 ky B.P., Italy. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 3888–3893 (2011).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1016212108
pubmed: 21368129
pmcid: 3054018
Radovčić, D., Sršen, A. O., Radovčić, J. & Frayer, D. W. Evidence for Neandertal jewellery: modified white-tailed eagle claws at Krapina. PLoS ONE 10, e0119802 (2015).
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119802
pubmed: 25760648
pmcid: 4356571
Romandini, M. et al. Convergent evidence of eagle talons used by late Neanderthals in Europe: a further assessment on symbolism. PLoS ONE 9, e101278 (2014).
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101278
pubmed: 25010346
pmcid: 4092065
Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. et al. The Châtelperronian Neanderthals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes. Sci. Adv. 5, eaax1984 (2019).
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax1984
pubmed: 31701003
pmcid: 6824858
Hoffmann, D. L. et al. U–Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neanderthal origin of Iberian cave art. Science 359, 912–915 (2018).
doi: 10.1126/science.aap7778
pubmed: 29472483
Slimak, L., Fietzke, J., Geneste, J. M. & Ontañón, R. Comment on “U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neandertal origin of Iberian cave art”. Science 361, eaau1371 (2018).
doi: 10.1126/science.aau1371
pubmed: 30237321
White, R. et al. Still no archaeological evidence that Neanderthals created Iberian cave art. J. Hum. Evol. 144, 012640 (2020).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102640
Hoffmann, D. L. et al. Response to White et al.’s reply: ‘Still no archaeological evidence that Neanderthals created Iberian cave art’ [J. Hum. Evol. (2020) 102640]. J. Hum. Evol. 144, 102810 (2020).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102810
pubmed: 32451090
Majkić, A., Evans, S., Stepanchuk, V., Tsvelykh, A. & d’Errico, F. A decorated raven bone from the Zaskalnaya VI (Kolosovskaya) Neanderthal site, Crimea. PLoS ONE 12, e0173435 (2017).
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173435
pubmed: 28355292
pmcid: 5371307
Majkić, A., d’Errico, F. & Stepanchuk, V. Assessing the significance of Palaeolithic engraved cortexes. A case study from the Mousterian site of Kiik-Koba, Crimea. PLoS ONE 13, e0195049 (2018).
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195049
pubmed: 29718916
pmcid: 5931501
Rodríguez-Vidal, J. et al. A rock engraving made by Neanderthals in Gibraltar. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 111, 13301–13306 (2014).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1411529111
pubmed: 25197076
pmcid: 4169962
Shaham, D., Belfer-Cohen, A., Rabinovich, R. & Goren-Inbar, N. A Mousterian engraved bone: principles of perception in Middle Paleolithic art. Curr. Anthropol. 60, 708–716 (2019).
doi: 10.1086/705677
Stepanchuk, V. Prolom II, a Middle Palaeolithic cave site in the eastern Crimea with non-utilitarian bone artefacts. Proc. Prehist. Soc. 59, 17–37 (1993).
doi: 10.1017/S0079497X0000373X
Prévost, M., Groman-Yaroslavski, I., Crater Gershtein, K. M., Tejero, J.-M. & Zaidner, Y. Early evidence for symbolic behavior in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic: a 120 ka old engraved aurochs bone shaft from the open-air site of Nesher Ramla, Israel. Quat. Int. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2021.01.002 (2021).
Peresani, M. et al. Symbolic or utilitarian? Juggling interpretations of Neanderthal behavior: new inferences from the study of engraved stone surfaces. J. Anthropol. Sci. 92, 233–255 (2014).
pubmed: 25020018
Röhling, H. G. et al. An integrated geophysical and geological interpretation of the area around Unicorn Cave (Southern Harz Mountains, Germany). Z. Dtsch. Ges. Geowiss. 170, 117–144 (2019).
Nielbock, R. Die Tierknochenfunde der Ausgrabungen 1987/88 in der Einhornhöhle bei Scharzfeld. Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 19, 217–230 (1989).
Veil, S. Die archäologisch-geowissenschaftlichen Ausgrabungen 1987/1988 in der Einhornhöhle bei Scharzfeld, Ldkr. Osterode am Harz. Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 19, 203–215 (1989).
Kotula, A. et al. Eiszeitliche Besiedlung in Niedersachsens Höhlen: Neue Forschungen an der Einhornhöhle im Harz, Ldkr. Göttingen. Nachr. Nieders Urgesch. 88, 211–229 (2019).
Dibble, H. L., Chase, P. G., McPherron, S. P. & Tuffrerau, A. Testing the reality of a ‘living floor’ with archaeological data. Am. Antiquity 62, 629–651 (1997).
doi: 10.2307/281882
Boschin, F. & Crezzini, J. Morphometrical analysis on cut marks using a 3D digital microscope. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol. 22, 549–562 (2011).
doi: 10.1002/oa.1272
Courtenay, L. A., Huguet, R., González-Aguilera, D. & Yravedra, J. A hybrid geometric morphometric deep learning approach for cut and trampling mark classification. Appl. Sci. 10, 150 (2020).
doi: 10.3390/app10010150
Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Rayne Pickering, T. & Bunn, H. T. Experimental study of cut marks made with rocks unmodified by human flaking and its bearing on claims of ∼3.4-million-year-old butchery evidence from Dikika, Ethiopia. J. Archaeol. Sci. 39, 205–214 (2012).
doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2011.03.010
Galán, A. B. & Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. An experimental study of the anatomical distribution of cut marks created by filleting and disarticulation of long bone ends. Archaeometry 55, 1132–1149 (2013).
doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2012.00730.x
Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. & Barba, R. New estimates of tooth mark and percussion mark frequencies at the FLK Zinj site: the carnivore-hominid-carnivore hypothesis falsified. J. Hum. Evol. 50, 170–194 (2006).
doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.09.005
pubmed: 16413934
Lister, A. M. & Stuart, A. J. The extinction of the giant deer Megaloceros giganteus (Blumenbach): new radiocarbon evidence. Quat. Int. 500, 185–2013 (2019).
doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2019.03.025
Falci, C. G., Cuisin, J., Delpuech, A., Van Gijn, A. & Hofman, C. L. New Insights into use-wear development in bodily ornaments through the study of ethnographic collections. J. Archaeol. Method Theory 26, 755–805 (2019).
doi: 10.1007/s10816-018-9389-8
Wallduck, R. & Bello, S. M. Cut mark micro-morphometrics associated with the stage of carcass decay: a pilot study using three-dimensional microscopy. J. Archael. Sci. Rep. 18, 174–185 (2018).
Bronk Ramsey, C. et al. Reanalysis of the atmospheric radiocarbon calibraton record from Lake Suigetsu, Japan. Radiocarbon 62, 989–999 (2020).
doi: 10.1017/RDC.2020.18
Reimer, P. et al. The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere radiocarbon age calibration curve (0–55 cal kBP). Radiocarbon 62, 735–757 (2020).
doi: 10.1017/RDC.2020.41
Hublin, J. J. The last Neanderthal. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 114, 10520–10522 (2017).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1714533114
pubmed: 28973864
pmcid: 5635937
Fewlass, H. et al. A
doi: 10.1038/s41559-020-1136-3
pubmed: 32393865
Bard, E. et al. Extended dilation of the radiocarbon time scale between 40,000 and 48,000y BP and the overlap between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 117, 21005–21007 (2020).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2012307117
pubmed: 32817536
pmcid: 7474600
Joordens, J. C. et al. Homo erectus at Trinil on Java used shells for tool production and engraving. Nature 518, 228–231 (2015).
doi: 10.1038/nature13962
pubmed: 25470048
Zilhão, J. Tar adhesives, Neandertals, and the tyranny of the discontinuous mind. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116, 21966–21968 (2019).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1916116116
pubmed: 31636221
pmcid: 6825303