Archaeologists and anthropologists agree that the Neanderthals were accomplished hunters, but what was the source of their skill? How did they seize and slaughter their prey, and with what tools and techniques?
The answers, these specialists say, are imbedded in the archaeological record. Containing an assortment of hints into Neanderthal hunting habits — including their remains, tools and trash — this record reveals that the Neanderthals thrust or threw their spears into their prey simultaneously and in specially selected, strategic areas, painting a sophisticated picture of our closest cousins’ subsistence strategies.
Who Were the Neanderthals?
Though there’s only one type of hominin today, we weren’t always alone in the world. From the origins of our species, Homo sapiens, until around 40,000 years ago, we walked alongside several similar humans, including Homo neanderthalensis.
