The image of the Neanderthal as a primitive hominin has been prevailing since the discovery of its fossil remains in 19th century. For a long time, it was known that Neanderthals could make tools and weapons. They could also make jewellery, ornaments and art. The University of Gttingen, Lower Saxony State Office for Heritage and the University of Gttingen have analysed a new discovery from the Unicorn Cave in the Harz Mountains. Researchers concluded that Neanderthals were genetically close to modern humans and had extraordinary cognitive abilities. The study's results were published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.The Unicornu Fossile Society has been assisting the scientists in new excavations at Unicorn Cave in Harz Mountains. They were able to uncover layers of cultural artifacts dating back to the Neanderthal period at the cave's ruined entry. This was their first successful excavation. A remarkable discovery was made when they discovered a small foot bone that had been left behind from a hunt. The soil stuck to the bone was removed and revealed an angular pattern with six notches. Dr Dirk Leder, the Lower Saxony State Office for Heritage's excavation leader, said that they were clearly decorative and not marks of butchering. The 3D microscopy of the Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products of Gttingen University allowed for analysis of the carved notches.The team conducted experiments using the foot bones of cattle today to make a scientific comparison. The team discovered that the bone had to be boiled first before carving the pattern with stone tools onto the bone's surface. This would have taken about 1.5 hours. The tiny, ancient foot bone was found to be from Megaloceros giganteus, a giant deer. Professor Antje Schwalb, from the Technical University of Braunschweig who was involved in the project, said that it is likely no coincidence that the Neanderthal selected the bone of an enormous animal with large antlers for his/her carving.Leibniz Laboratory at Kiel University used radiocarbon dating technology to date the carved bone. It was dated at more than 51,000 years. This is the first time anyone has been able to directly date an object believed to have been carved in Neanderthals. Only a handful of ornamental objects dating back to the time when the last Neanderthals lived in France have been found. These finds, which date back to around 40,000 years ago, are believed to be copies made by anatomically-modern humans of pendants that had spread to other parts of Europe. Small ivory sculptures and ornaments from the Swabian Alb, Baden-Wrttemberg caves of modern humans have survived. These were also found around the same time."The Unicorn Cave's new discovery shows that Neanderthals could produce patterns on bones independently and communicate using symbols for thousands of years before modern humans arrived in Europe," said Professor Thomas Terberger, project leader at Gttingen University's Department for Prehistory and Early History and the Lower Saxony State Office for Heritage. This means that the Neanderthals' creative abilities must have evolved independently. The Unicorn Cave bone is therefore the oldest ornamented object in Lower Saxony, and one of Central Europe's most important finds from Neanderthal times.Bjrn Thmler, Lower Saxony's Minister for Science, says that archaeologists in Lower Saxony are constantly making discoveries that rewrite history. Research in the Unicorn Cave revealed that Neanderthals had created elaborate designs long before modern humans arrived. This is yet another important discovery that changes our view of prehistory.
