Neanderthals dived for shells to make tools, research suggests

Study adds weight to claims that stereotype of knuckle-headed Neanderthals is wrongNeanderthals went diving for shells to turn into tools, according to new research, suggesting our big-browed cousins made more use of the sea than previously thought.The study focuses on 171 shell tools that were found in a now inaccessible coastal cave in central Italy, known as the Grotta dei Moscerini, which was excavated in 1949. Dating of animal teeth found within layers alongside the shell tools suggest they are from about 90,000 to 100,000 years ago – a time when only Neanderthals are thought to have been present in western Europe.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Neanderthals Archaeology Science Italy Anthropology World news Europe Shellfish Source Type: news
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