This paper deals with one of the most fascinating themes of prehistoric archaeology in recent times, ie, the existence of symbolic behaviour by Neandertals and its chronology, particularly with reference to the peopling of Europe by anatomically modern humans (AMH). For the first time, our team could show that Neandertals did have symbolic behaviour pre-dating the arrival of AMH in Europe, from the archaeological evidence collected from two sites of the Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic of Iberia, dated to as early as approximately 50,000 years ago, which yielded perforated and pigment-stained marine shells. At Cueva de los Aviones, three umbo-perforated valves of Acanthocardia and Glycymeris were found alongside lumps of yellow and red colorants, and residues preserved inside a Spondylus shell consist of a red lepidocrocite base mixed with ground, dark red-to-black fragments of hematite and pyrite. A perforated Pecten shell, painted on its external, white side with an orange mix of goethite and hematite, was abandoned after breakage at Cueva Antón, 60 km inland. Comparable early modern human-associated material from Africa and the Near East is widely accepted as evidence for body ornamentation, implying behavioral modernity. The Iberian finds show that European Neandertals were no different from coeval Africans in this regard, countering genetic/cognitive explanations for the emergence of symbolism and strengthening demographic/social ones.

Symbolic Use of Marine Shells and Mineral Pigments by Iberian Neandertals

Angelucci, Diego Ercole;
2010-01-01

Abstract

This paper deals with one of the most fascinating themes of prehistoric archaeology in recent times, ie, the existence of symbolic behaviour by Neandertals and its chronology, particularly with reference to the peopling of Europe by anatomically modern humans (AMH). For the first time, our team could show that Neandertals did have symbolic behaviour pre-dating the arrival of AMH in Europe, from the archaeological evidence collected from two sites of the Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic of Iberia, dated to as early as approximately 50,000 years ago, which yielded perforated and pigment-stained marine shells. At Cueva de los Aviones, three umbo-perforated valves of Acanthocardia and Glycymeris were found alongside lumps of yellow and red colorants, and residues preserved inside a Spondylus shell consist of a red lepidocrocite base mixed with ground, dark red-to-black fragments of hematite and pyrite. A perforated Pecten shell, painted on its external, white side with an orange mix of goethite and hematite, was abandoned after breakage at Cueva Antón, 60 km inland. Comparable early modern human-associated material from Africa and the Near East is widely accepted as evidence for body ornamentation, implying behavioral modernity. The Iberian finds show that European Neandertals were no different from coeval Africans in this regard, countering genetic/cognitive explanations for the emergence of symbolism and strengthening demographic/social ones.
2010
3
J., Zilhão; Angelucci, Diego Ercole; E., Badal García; F., D’Errico; F., Daniel; L., Dayet; K., Douka; T. F. G., Higham; M. J., Martínez Sánchez; R., Montes Bernárdez; S., Murcia Mascarós; C., Pérez Sirvent; C., Roldán García; M., Vanhaeren; V., Villaverde; R., Wood; J., Zapata
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11572/76485
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 474
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 424
social impact