Seasonal shellfish exploitation by Neanderthals 115,000 years ago
Abstract
The southern coast of Europe has been at the center of archaeological debates contrasting the social and cognitive capabilities of Neanderthals and modern humans. Early evidence of marine resource exploitation by Neanderthals in this region challenged some views that coastal adaptation was a trait distinctive of modern human cognition and behavior. While it is now evident that Neanderthals exploited marine resources, the nature of their seasonal foraging strategies remains an open question. Here, we analyzed the oxygen isotope composition of mollusk shells collected by Neanderthals at Los Aviones Cave (Iberian Peninsula), demonstrating that they primarily exploited intertidal mollusks during the colder months of the year. This harvesting pattern anticipates the dominant seasonal exploitation strategies observed among later modern human populations in southern Europe, highlighting a degree of behavioral flexibility in Neanderthal use of coastal ecosystems.
Article Details
Journal Info
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Authors (12)
Asier García-Escárzaga
Department of Prehistory and Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Igor Gutiérrez-Zugasti
BioPrehistory Research Group, Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (Universidad de Cantabria, Banco Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria)
Arnaldo Marín
Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia
Josefina Zapata
Área de Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia
Adolfo Moreno-Márquez
Abdera Research Group, Department of Geography, History and Humanities, University of Almería
Leon J. Clarke
Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University
Stefania Milano
Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH
Gernot Nehrke
Alfred Wegener Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Section Marine BioGeoSciences
Ronald Castellón-Vargas
San Luis-Temporal, San Rafael Tarija Ltda. SN.
Patrick Roberts
João Zilhão
UNIARQ–Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa
André C. Colonese
Department of Prehistory and Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona