Archaeologists at work in Abric Pizarro. Credit: Sofia Samper Carro 
Hattie Russell Meteored United Kingdom 23.08.2024 – 18:00 6 min
A previously unknown area in the foothills of the southern Pyrenees, Abric Pizarro, in Spain, has provided important information about a little-known period in the history of the Neanderthals and helped archaeologists solve the mystery of their demise.
The research was conducted by the Australian National University (ANU) and scientists from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (CEPAP-UAB) and in Journal of Archaeological Science published .
Abric Pizarro is one of only a handful of archaeological sites in the world dating from 100,000 to 65,000 years ago a period known as MIS 4. The team collected hundreds of thousands of artifacts, including animal bones, stone tools and other items, providing incredible new data about how Neanderthals lived during this time, which was largely unknown until now.
These findings have shown that Neanderthals adapted to their environmentwhich refutes the theory that they were slow-footed cavemen and provides valuable insights into their hunting and survival skills.
Understanding Neanderthal behavior
Lead author Dr Sofia Samper Carro, archaeologist at ANU, said the finds show that the Neanderthals knew how to best exploit the area and the regionand that they were resistant to harsh climates.
“Our surprising discoveries in Abric Pizarro show how adaptable the Neanderthals were. The animal bones we recovered indicate that they successfully exploited the surrounding fauna by hunting red deer, horses and bison, but also eating freshwater turtles and rabbits, which suggests a level of planning rarely considered for Neanderthals” she said.
A retouched simple tool tip found in Abric Pizarro. Credit: Photo: Sofia Samper Carro and the research team. Taken from their work, which you can find using the doi at the end of this article.
The research team says that the new insights provided by the site refute the assumption that Neanderthals only ate large animals like horses and rhinos the hunt.
“Through the bones we find, which show cut marks, we have direct evidence that Neanderthals were able to hunt small animals“, said Dr. Samper Carro. “The bones at this site are very well preserved and we can see traces of how the Neanderthals processed and slaughtered these animals. Our analysis of the stone artifacts also shows a Variability in the type of tools produced, suggesting that Neanderthals were able to exploit the resources available in the area.”
By shedding light on a crucial part of the history of the Neanderthals, archaeologists are coming closer to solving the age-old question“What caused the Neanderthals to become extinct?” closer.
The research team believes that the discovery of sites such as Abric Pizarro from this unknown period of history provides valuable insights into how Neanderthals lived when modern humans had not yet arrived in the areaand shows that the Neanderthals evolved well.
“The unique site in Abric Pizarro gives an insight into the behaviour of Neanderthals in a landscape they have roamed for hundreds of thousands of years,” said Dr. Samper Carro.
“The Neanderthals disappeared about 40,000 years agoSuddenly we modern humans appear in this region of the Pyrenees and the Neanderthals disappear. But before that Neanderthals lived in Europe for almost 300,000 years. They clearly knew what they were doing. They knew the area and knew how to survive for a long time. That is one of the most interesting things about this site, this unique information about the time when Neanderthals were alone and lived in harsh conditions and how they thrived before modern humans appeared.”
Use of modern archaeological techniques
Modern excavation techniques enable archaeologists to fine-grained data from sites such as Abric Pizarro and other Neanderthal sites.
“We record in 3D every single find larger than one or two centimeters. This makes our work slow, and we have been excavating some of these sites for over 20 years, but it results in a uniquely precise record of the sites,” said Dr. Samper Carro. “We are interested in how the different data relate to each other, from stone tools to bones to fireplaces. This more thorough excavation gives archaeologists insight into how Neanderthals lived and how long they stayed in an area.
“It is not just the individual materials that give us clues, but also where exactly they are found in relation to other materials at the site that help us understand how and when the Neanderthals visited these sites. Were they settled there or just passing through?”
Source reference:
Samper, SC, Susana Vega Bolivar, Jezabel Pizarro Barbera, Westbury, E., Connor, S., Allué, E., Benito-Calvo, A., Arnold, LJ, Demuro, M., Price, GJ, Martinez-Moreno, J. and Mora, R. (2024). Living on the edge: Abric Pizarro, a MIS-4 Neanderthal site in the lowest foothills of the southeastern Pre-Pyrenees (Lleida, Iberian Peninsula).
Journal of Archaeological Science169, pp.106038–106038. DOI:
