Home 
News
News
Evidence found in Murcia sheds new light on Neanderthal man
Scientists working in the Murcia Region say they have found the first solid evidence that Neanderthal man was capable of symbolic thinking, indicating intelligence on a par with early modern humans. Shells found in the Cueva de los Aviones and the Cueva Antón appear to have been worn by the Neanderthals as jewellery, while residues of pigment found on some of the shells indicate that they were used as containers for cosmetic paints.
Professor Joao Zilhao, from the University of Bristol, said the find dates from 50,000 years ago, 10,000 years before the first modern humans arrived in Europe from Africa, and is the ‘first conclusive proof that Neanderthal man was symbolically organised’.
EFE notes that similar finds in sites linked to the Neanderthals were previously thought to have been artefacts stolen from modern humans, or an imitation, but the dating of the Murcia find is seen as sufficient evidence to overthrow the last doubts over their intellectual capacity.
The team’s conclusions are published in the US journal, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Professor Joao Zilhao, from the University of Bristol, said the find dates from 50,000 years ago, 10,000 years before the first modern humans arrived in Europe from Africa, and is the ‘first conclusive proof that Neanderthal man was symbolically organised’.
EFE notes that similar finds in sites linked to the Neanderthals were previously thought to have been artefacts stolen from modern humans, or an imitation, but the dating of the Murcia find is seen as sufficient evidence to overthrow the last doubts over their intellectual capacity.
The team’s conclusions are published in the US journal, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
(You can find a photo for this story at Typically Spanish - Click here)