In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeological findings from Germany’s Schöningen site suggest that Neandertals hunted wild horses in sophisticated teams around 200,000 years ago.
Neandertals May Have Hunted in Horse-Tracking Teams 200,000 Years Ago
Newly dated materials from Germany‘s Schöningen site suggest that Neandertals organized complex hunting parties to ambush wild horses around 200,000 years ago.
Neanderthals, also known as Homo neanderthalensis, were a species of archaic humans that lived in Europe and Asia from around 400,000 to 40,000 years ago.
They coexisted with early Homo sapiens and interbred, leaving behind a genetic legacy in modern human populations.
Neanderthals were characterized by their stocky build, prominent forehead, and robust bone structure.
They likely hunted large game and gathered plants for food, using tools made from stone, wood, and bone.
The Ancient Lakeshore Hunting Grounds
Excavations at the German site uncovered wooden spears, double-pointed sticks, stone artifacts, and butchered remains of over 50 horses, which were previously dated to be around 300,000 years old. However, a new age estimate from the site’s sediment layers indicates that these materials are actually approximately 100,000 years younger.
Horses have undergone significant changes over millions of years, evolving from small, multi-toed forest dwellers to the large, single-toed animals we know today.
Fossil records show that early horse-like species emerged around 50 million years ago in North America.
These early horses were much smaller than their modern counterparts and had four toes on each foot.
Over time, they adapted to changing environments, developing longer legs and losing toes, eventually becoming the majestic creatures we admire today.
A New Era of Cooperation
The discovery fits a scenario in which Neandertals developed enough knowledge about equine behavior to form teams that guided horse families to ambush spots. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of complex social behaviors among Neandertals, potentially rivaling those of early Homo sapiens.
According to zooarchaeologist Jarod Hutson, ‘Neandertals started to cooperate in new ways for hunting and other complex social behaviors, probably on par with early Homo sapiens.’ This newfound cooperation would have allowed Neandertal groups to thrive in Europe during this period.
Ambushing Bison and Other Prey
The findings at Schöningen are not an isolated incident. Discoveries at five other European sites, spanning from around 57,000 to 130,000 years ago, suggest that Neandertals worked together to ambush various prey, including bison, wild cattle, rhinos, horses, and reindeer.
By studying the molecular changes in snail shells, crustaceans, and horse molars at these sites, researchers were able to estimate the age of the materials. This more recent date for the Schöningen hunting spears highlights an intensification of Neandertal cooperative behavior around 200,000 years ago.
While the details of this discovery are still emerging, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the complex social dynamics of our ancient ancestors.
Fossil records indicate that ancient humans, such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus, emerged around 2.8-3.0 million years ago in Africa.
These early humans were characterized by their primitive tools and hunting skills.
As time progressed, they migrated to other parts of the world, adapting to various environments and developing more complex societies.
By around 50,000 years ago, Homo sapiens had replaced other human species, marking the beginning of modern humanity.
- sciencenews.org | Neandertals may have hunted in horse trapping teams 200,000 years ago
