Cave structures built by Neanderthals..

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In 1990, cavers broke through into Bruniquel Cave, in France, through an opening that had been naturally sealed since the Pleistocene period. Near the entrance of the cave, they found evidence of Pleistocene fauna, as well as evidence of bears having been inside the cave. However it was deep into the cave, some 1,100 feet, in the largest cavern inside the cave itself, an astonishing discovery was made.

Structures, built out of stalagmites.

The arranged structures composed of whole and broken stalagmites, here designated as ‘speleofacts’ (Extended Data Table 1), are located in the largest chamber of the cave (Extended Data Fig. 1c). Our study defines two categories of structures: two annular ones, which are the most impressive, and four smaller stalagmite accumulation structures (Supplementary Video 1). The largest annular structure is 6.7 × 4.5 m, and the smaller one is 2.2 ×2.1 m. The accumulation structures consist of stacks of stalagmites and are from 0.55 m to 2.60 m in diameter. Two of them are located in the centre of the larger annular construction, while the other two are outside of it (Fig. 1). Overall, about 400 pieces were used, comprising a total length of 112.4 m and an average weight of 2.2 tons of calcite (Extended Data Table 1). Half of the elements composing the structures consist of the middle part of stalagmites (that is, without the root or tip), and very few pieces are whole (~5%). The stalagmites are well calibrated with a mean length of 34.4 cm for the large (A) and 29.5 cm for the small (B) annular structures, thus strongly suggesting intentional construction (Extended Data Fig. 4). Marks left by stalagmite wrenching are seen near the structures, though in most cases the original provenance of the stalagmites is difficult to determine owing to calcite flowstones covering a large part of the cave floor.

The annular structures are composed of one to four superposed layers of aligned stalagmites (Extended Data Fig. 2b). Notably, some short elements were placed inside the superposed layers to support them (Extended Data Fig. 2d, e). Other stalagmites were placed vertically against the main structure in the manner of stays, perhaps to reinforce the constructions (Extended Data Fig. 2a–c). All of these elements, combined with the large size of the structures, exclude any interventions by bears (Supplementary Information Table 2). Although bear traces are present throughout the cave (fur, claw marks, paw prints), hibernation hollows are observed only in other sectors (End Gallery, Bear Hollow Chamber at ~80 m and 240 m from the Structure Chamber).
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A 3D reconstruction of the site:

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Traces of fire were found at each structure, not on the floor of the cave itself, but on the structures themselves. Charred pieces of bones were also found near some of the structures. No charred materials were found outside of the cave itself.

Back in 1990, an archaeologist named Francois Rouzaud, mapped out the area and samples were taken for dating. Rouzaud and others postulated the possibility that it was built by Neanderthals. Sadly, Rouzaud died soon after and the limited and difficult access into the cave, resulted in no further research being conducted until 2013, when archaeologists went back into the cave for further study.

Dating placed the structures at around 176,500 years, when Neanderthals were the only known hominid to exist in Europe and in the region itself. The discovery of such a structure that old is a first. As the pre-historian archaeologist Jacques Jaubert and others involved in the latest study notes:

Early Neanderthals were the only human population living in Europe during this period 12. Our findings suggest that their society included elements of modernity, which can now be proven to have emerged earlier than previously thought. These include complex spatial organization, fire use, and deep karst occupation (Extended Data Fig. 8b).

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To wit, there is no known record of such structures in caves, built by Neanderthals. Homo sapiens have left evidence of deep cave dwelling or having used deep caves in the past and as Jaubert notes, cave use like this has always been associated with Homo sapiens. These structures are complex and this is being found to be the oldest human construction found in a cave. There was no natural lighting where these structures were built. So fire would have had to be used to light their way into the intricate cave system itself. This shows that fire was being used for something other than for food or heat. The implications of this discovery and especially its dating, raises so many questions about Neanderthals themselves. This is completely new and uncharted territory when it comes to Neanderthals.

In other examples, the human frequentation of caves is linked to engraving, painting or sculpting activities. These sites are thus younger than 42,000 calibrated years before present and are always associated with Homo s. sapiens. Symbolic, cultural or funerary activities were the main reasons for these cave visits. Until now no evidence has been found for regular Neanderthal incursions into caves, except for a possible case of footprints 27, and Neanderthal constructions inside caves, at least at a distance that is no longer exposed to daylight, were totally unknown. Moreover, Upper Palaeolithic constructions in caves are limited to fireplaces, simple hearths, and some rock or speleothem displacements. Even in caves regularly visited since the Aurignacian, constructions are non-existent or anecdotal.

What was the function of these structures at such a great distance from the cave entrance? Why are most of the fireplaces found on the structures rather than directly on the cave floor? Based on most Upper Palaeolithic cave incursions, we could assume that they represent some kind of symbolic or ritual behaviour 3, but could they rather have served for an unknown domestic use or simply as a refuge? Future research will try to answer these questions.

The attribution of the Bruniquel constructions to early Neanderthals is unprecedented in two ways. First, it reveals the appropriation of a deep karst space (including lighting) by a pre-modern human species. Second, it concerns elaborate constructions that have never been reported before, made with hundreds of partially calibrated, broken stalagmites (speleofacts) that appear to have been deliberately moved and placed in their current locations, along with the presence of several intentionally heated zones. Our results therefore suggest that the Neanderthal group responsible for these constructions had a level of social organization that was more complex than previously thought for this hominid species.
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* Jacques Jaubert et al. Early Neanderthal constructions deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwestern France. Nature, published online May 25, 2016; doi: 10.1038/nature18291. <http://bit.ly/1TSn6ph>.

* Soressi, Marie. "Archaeology: Neanderthals Built Underground". Nature (2016): n. pag. Web. 30 May 2016; doi:10.1038/nature18440. <http://bit.ly/1sGSvAt>.

* Callaway, Ewen. "Neanderthals Built Cave Structures — And No One Knows Why". Nature(2016): n. pag. Web. 30 May 2016; doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19975. <http://bit.ly/1WW7Fiz>.

* Anderson, Natali. "Early Neanderthals Built Stalagmite Ring-Like Structures 176,500 Years Ago | Archaeology | Sci-News.com." Breaking Science News. Sci-News, 26 May 2016. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://bit.ly/1sX1SNf>.

 

Although our species, Homo sapiens, had already come into existence in Africa, it would be several tens of thousands of years before any of them made the journey across the Red Sea into Asia, then back the other way into Europe. Europe was the domain of the Neanderthals for quite a long time.

The first modern humans in Europe were the Cro-Magnon people who left us some astounding art in a cave in France--but this happened more than 100,000 years after Bruniquel.

 

That's the thing about this discovery...

This is completely new.. Uncharted territory.. We are straight into the realm of the absolute unknown when it comes to Neanderthals and these were early Neanderthals in Europe.

When you consider what this would have involved and entailed.. The manipulation of fire to be able to light their way into the depths of that cave, the manner of social interaction needed to plan and construct these structures, the level of cooperation.. A hell of a lot of stalagmites were used to make these structures, they had a sense of order and purpose behind them, they were designed and built in such a way as to allow them to have fires in the structures themselves instead of just on the cave floor.

I can see what Billy is seeing and frankly, I don't know if he is correct or if this is just a fluke.. No one knows yet if this is something symbolic to the Neanderthals who constructed it or used it, or whether it is just something they created and used to live in.. The fact that bears used to hibernate in there, not as deep as this chamber was, but still.. Was it something they used in the winter, perhaps, to escape the cold? Was it something that points to what we would today consider to be a religious belief, perhaps? For me, what floored me with this was the use of fire, for lighting, because these structures were not created in the pitch black of that cave. The fact that they bought food products in there, if the charred bones were food, while no charred remains were found at the entrance of the cave, outside the cave or closer to the entrance of the cave itself.. I don't know if it is actually something symbolic and perhaps I am tainted or we are tainted into believing it is something symbolic. But their utilising fire in this way is just phenomenal.

Especially when one considers that this was created and constructed this way 175,500 years ago.

Then of course comes the fact that the people who built this would have had to have been able to communicate well enough to place the stalagmites that way, to find the correct sizes, stack them up in such a way to provide places to have the fires and to form those shapes. It was a hell of a lot of stalagmites moved to create it.. It took planning as they weren't placed just anywhere. These structures have distinct shapes.

There is evidence that they may have intentionally buried their dead, that they created and crafted tools for hunting and other uses and that they even wore jewelry. There is more and more evidence that these were complex people. That the complexity of their culture may have existed before Homo sapiens came into contact with them..

 

Well of course. Sapiens did not enter Europe until around 30KYA. We call them "Cro-Magnon" because that's the name of the French cave in which we found a museum of some of the finest cave art ever discovered.

During all the centuries prior to that meeting, the Neanderthals left a fairly rich record of artifacts. The one that made the archeologists stop in their tracks and take off their hats was the discovery of a Neanderthal burial site--into which flowers had been tossed.

It's often been hypothesized that if a modern human saw a Neanderthal waiting at a bus stop on a busy street (here in the USA), it's very likely that he would assume that the stranger was a Homo sapiens, perhaps from another part of the world.

The Neanderthal would be short, but not necessarily the shortest man in the bus queue. He would be muscular, but probably no more than the two guys who just came out of the gym across the street. He would certainly look like "he's not from around here," but so would several other people in the queue who were not born in the Western Hemisphere.

 

But we do not know if this is the case here.

It could just be that they were using it to cook their food.

There is no actual evidence of deity worship in that cave. Certainly, some have posited that some buried their dead and they view that as being ritualistic and perhaps it is. But I don't think I'd go so far as to leap that some charred bones in a hearth such as what they built is indicative of deity worship. I don't think there is enough to make that leap quite as yet.

What this does show, however, is that the belief that Neanderthals were somewhat less capable than Homo sapiens, is wrong. And after this, perhaps it might open the eyes of many archaeologists and anthropologists who were doubtful that they could even produce art, for example. That art itself is no longer such a huge leap when it comes to Neanderthals. After all, it appears as though they also wore things like jewelry. And that was around 130k years ago.

In that sense, this latest discovery is phenomenal because it will now force archaeologists and early history anthropologists and archaeologists to look at Neanderthals in a completely new light.


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* Callaway, Ewen. "Neanderthals Wore Eagle Talons As Jewellery". Nature (2015): n. pag. Web. 2 June 2016. <http://go.nature.com/1GG9PtR>

* Science/AAAS,. "World's Oldest Cave Art Found—Made By Neanderthals?".News.nationalgeographic.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 2 June 2016. <http://bit.ly/1eK71xh>

 

In winter perhaps? To avoid the fauna that also used the cave at the same time? The issue is noone knows why they went in there and built what they built..

 

Jean Auel accomplished this 30-35 years ago when she was doing the research for her book "Clan of the Cave Bear" and several sequels. The milieu of the series is a Homo sapiens clan who had settled in Europe and quickly encountered the Neanderthal communities that had been living there for tens of thousands of years.

The point of view of the chapters switches from sapiens to Neanderthal, giving us a view of the encounters between the two species.

Auel took her work very seriously, spending considerable time with paleontologists and other scientists, including botanists who helped identify the herbs that the Stone Age people (of both species) used medically, and zoologists who identified large animals that well-armed humans could have hunted and eaten. (Or eaten by, such as the glutton, or "wolverine" as we call them in North America--a member of the weasel family less than half the size of a human that can singlehandedly take down an elk.)

She even spent an entire winter alone in a cave in Alaska.

As to be expected, some of the information she based her stories on turned out to be false. The deal-breaker was the mapping of the Neanderthal brain about fifteen years ago, and discovering that Neanderthals actually had a speech center. This means that Neanderthals and modern humans could have learned to speak each other's languages--which blows away one of the key issues in the story: modern humans struggling to learn sign language, as the Neanderthals attempt to use their primitive vocal organs to speak aloud.