archaic humans were peeling bears for their skins at least 320,000 years ago, according to ancient bones found in Germany.
Some of the earliest known evidence of cave bears is found on the phalanx and metatarsal paw bones.
The exploitation of bears, especially cave bears, has been an ongoing debate for over a century and is relevant not only in the context of hominin diet but also for the use of skins
The origin of hide exploitation can contribute to the understanding of survival strategies during the Middle Pleistocene.
Archaeologists have been interested in the region around Schningen for a long time. A trove of ancient artifacts from a nearby open-cut mine, including the oldest complete wooden weapons ever discovered, were found in the 1990s.
Stone tools, bone tools, and animal bones were included. The marks on the bones were a sign that ancient humans had butchered the animals.
The marks on the paw bones were a bit odd. The fact that they were there at all was cause for investigation.
In archaeology, cut marks on bones are seen as an indication of the use of meat. There isn't any meat to be found from hand and foot bones. We can say that the cut marks are due to the careful stripping of the skin.
The cut marks on bear paw bones analyzed in the scientific literature were attributed to skinning. The cut marks on the bones found at Schningen were similar to those of Homo heidelbergensis or Neanderthals, which led to the conclusion that ancient humans were skinning bears.
The people are likely to have gotten better protection from this. Bears have a thick coat that is supplemented by a soft undercoat that insulates them against the cold. Between ice ages, which were relatively warm, winters would have been harsh.
According to Verheijen, people in northern Europe were able to survive in winter thanks to warm bear skins.
The question of how the skins were obtained is raised by this. Sitting around waiting for a cave bear to die is not likely to be a useful strategy since the bear's skin needs to be stripped quickly after death. There are bones and weapons at the site.
Adult animals found at an archaeological site are usually considered an indication of hunting. All the bear bones and teeth were owned by adults.
The bear remains at Schningen suggest that humans skinned the bears for their luxurious furs. The researchers say it's unlikely that these groups of humans would have been walking around naked, so the likelihood is that they skins were used for either wearing or sleeping.
The research was published in a journal.
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