Archeology takes a step forward in the search for who were the first collectors in history. In a study published in the journal Quaternary, the authors detail having found at least 15 specimens of marine fossils dating from the Upper Cretaceous in the Prado Vargas cave, in Cornejos. The fossils were supposedly transported to the cave by a Neanderthal community, and except for one of them, none have “obvious practical use.”
According to him analysis According to specialists at the University of Burgos, Spain, the finding indicates that our “cousins” may have been capable of abstract or symbolic thought and were therefore not limited to responding to practical problems such as food supply and overall survival.
“Useless” fossils
The team found the fossils in level N4 of the Prado Vargas cave, dating to between 39,800 and 54,600 years ago. These are marine specimens belonging to the families Gryphaeidae, Pectinidae, Cardiidae, Pholadomyidae, Pleurotomariidae, Tylostomatidae and Diplopodiidae, included in the Upper Cretaceous period and probably collected in formations near the cave.
According to the authors, what was surprising was the number of fossils found in this cave, in total there were 15: thirteen were identified as mollusks; seven gastropods and six bivalves, one belonging to the phylum Echinodermatato which the sea urchins belong, and finally, a non-recognizable fragment.
“With the exception of one, the fossils show no evidence of having been used as tools. Their presence in the cave could be attributed to collecting activities,” read the first lines of the study. It is also detailed that these activities could have been motivated by numerous “tangible and intangible causes”, suggesting collection actions and that abstract thinking was present in Neanderthals before the arrival of modern humans.
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The hypothesis
What drove a group of Neanderthals to collect all those seemingly useless fossils? The short answer is: we don’t know. According to the authors, what is certain is that they were introduced into the cave deliberately. One of the hypotheses raised in the study is that the objects were collected and then collected for purely aesthetic or decorative reasons. They could also be used as gifts or as “bargaining coins.” within the community or with external communities. Or, again, “they could have been used to reinforce the cultural identity and social cohesion of a group, two aspects that are often especially important in times of stress,” the publication indicates.
Finally, researchers suggest that over time remains of Neanderthal children have been found inside the Prado Vargas cave. Another hypothesis is that the fossils were collected by younger members of the community, perhaps for fun or because they were fascinated by their mysterious shapes.
Article originally published in WIRED Italy. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
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