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Neanderthals made a range of wooden objects

An analysis of 597 wooden remains from Spain shows how important perishable materials were to their daily lives.

Neanderthals used wood for more than fuel, a study of finds from Abric Romaní near Barcelona shows. The peer-reviewed study in Science Advances describes traces of tools, weapons and household objects, but leaves the precise function of some remains open.

The research brings together 597 wooden remains and impressions found during excavations at Abric Romaní over a period of more than four decades. The site is near Capellades, in Catalonia. The results were published in Science Advances and are therefore part of the regular peer-reviewed scientific literature.

The finds include remains of spears, tools and objects that may have served as containers or bowls. The research team also describes an object with a handle and a widened, pointed end. That object resembles a small club, but its exact function cannot be established with certainty.

According to the researchers, four charred pieces of bark may have been trays or holders. Here too, the interpretation remains provisional. The wooden remains were partly preserved because they were covered by sediment and clay or became charred. Such conditions are exceptional, as wood normally decays.

That very rarity affects the picture of Neanderthal technology. Stone relatively often remains in the archaeological record, whereas wooden objects usually disappear. As a result, the archaeological record may give a distorted picture of what Neanderthals actually made and used.

The researchers do not conclude that Neanderthals suddenly developed an unknown technology. The combination of finds does show that woodworking may have been a recurring part of daily life. Wood was available in the surrounding area and could be adapted to various practical purposes.

The study is not a direct reconstruction of a complete production process. Researchers can tell from charred remains and impressions that wood was worked, but not always precisely what an object was used for or who used it. The interpretations are therefore stronger for some finds than for others.

The results are consistent with earlier research on Neanderthals, which has also found evidence of complex use of bone, fibres and wood. The new analysis mainly shows how much knowledge about perishable materials can be lost when archaeological sites do not offer good conditions for preservation.

The research was peer-reviewed, but, as with any archaeological study, its conclusions remain dependent on the quality and context of the finds. There is no reason to attribute the same behaviour to all Neanderthal groups on the basis of a single site. The study primarily provides new evidence of technical variation at this specific location.

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