Abric Romaní, Spain: Neanderthal Woodworking Reveals 62,000-Year-Old Tools

• Researchers discovered 13 well-preserved wooden artifacts at the Abric Romaní rock shelter in Catalonia, Spain.
• These artifacts, dating from 62,000 to 40,000 years ago, include spears, bark trays, structural elements, and a unique club-like object.
• The exceptional preservation is due to calcium carbonate from travertine forming molds around decomposing wood, sometimes at a cellular level.
• The findings demonstrate that Neanderthals integrated woodworking into their technology, alongside stone tool production.
• This discovery offers rare insight into the varied and sophisticated use of wood by Neanderthals for hunting, household items, and possibly shelters.

This discovery at Abric Romaní, located near Capellades outside Barcelona, fundamentally reshapes our understanding of their ingenuity and resourcefulness, highlighting a complex relationship with their environment and the materials it provided.

A recent study has shed new light on the sophisticated technological capabilities of Neanderthals, revealing their extensive use of wood for a variety of purposes, from hunting implements to domestic items and even potential structural components for shelters. This groundbreaking insight comes from the analysis of exceptionally well-preserved artifacts discovered at the Abric Romaní rock shelter in Catalonia, Spain. Researchers meticulously examined 597 wood specimens, identifying 13 distinct wooden artifacts across 16 different archaeological layers at the site.

These findings, which date back approximately 62,000 to 40,000 years ago, offer an unprecedented glimpse into Neanderthal woodworking, a craft often underrepresented in the archaeological record due to the perishable nature of the material. The collection includes two spears, several pointed sticks, four bark trays, and various wooden elements believed to have served as parts of larger structures. Notably, the excavation also yielded a unique club-like object, which currently has no known parallel among other prehistoric discoveries. The detailed results of this research were published on a recent Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

The remarkable preservation of these wooden items at Abric Romaní is attributed to a unique geological phenomenon. Unlike typical archaeological sites where wood rapidly decays, the presence of calcium carbonate originating from the surrounding travertine—a natural form of limestone—created protective molds around the decomposing wood. This process was so effective that it sometimes preserved intricate details down to the cellular level.

Among the significant finds, one spear measured approximately eight feet in length, while another artifact provided an imprint of a pointed object nearly 6.5 feet long. These spears are consistent with thrusting weapons, aligning with existing evidence of active hunting practices at the site. The distinctive club-like artifact, unearthed from a separate layer, featured a clearly defined handle and a broader working end. Analysis of scraping marks on its surface confirms it was deliberately shaped, although its precise function remains a subject of ongoing study. Further supporting the evidence of extensive woodworking, researchers also identified numerous small wood chips scattered across several archaeological layers.

The researchers emphasized that this collection, despite its relatively modest size, is highly significant due to the diverse forms and functions represented by the artifacts. It strongly suggests that woodworking was not merely an incidental activity but an integral component of Neanderthal technology, developed alongside their well-documented stone tool production. For a long time, the scarcity of preserved wooden artifacts has likely led to an underestimation of wood's true importance in Neanderthal daily life and technological advancement.

This discovery at Abric Romaní, located near Capellades outside Barcelona, fundamentally reshapes our understanding of their ingenuity and resourcefulness, highlighting a complex relationship with their environment and the materials it provided.

Source: Original reporting via Science Advances study.