Neanderthal Fat Extraction Process Identified 125,000 Years Ago, Study Reports

Neanderthals who lived approximately 125,000 years ago in what is now Germany may have extracted and consumed fat from animal bones using an organized food preparation process.

While excavating the site of a former lake landscape known as Neumark-Nord, archaeologists found thousands of bones from at least 172 large mammals, along with flint artifacts. The bones, which date back to an interglacial period inhabited by Neanderthals, were from animals such as red deer and horses, according to a study published on July 2 in Science Advances.

Researchers observed that bones with less marrow were distributed across the site, while many marrow-rich bones were found in clusters. These clusters are referred to as "fat factories."

Researchers suggest that Neanderthals used tools to break the bones into small fragments and then boiled them for several hours. The grease that rose to the surface could be collected and consumed, providing a calorie-dense food source.

Prior to this study, evidence of this practice only dated back to 28,000 years ago.

Resource Management and Site Organization

"Neanderthals were clearly managing resources with precision — planning hunts, transporting carcasses, and rendering fat in a task-specific area," Dr. Lutz Kindler, the study’s first author, said. "They understood both the nutritional value of fat and how to access it efficiently — most likely involving caching carcass parts at places in the landscape for later transport to and use at the grease rendering site."

Fat was considered an important resource for Neanderthals, particularly during winter and spring when carbohydrates were limited. Their diets consisted largely of animal protein, and consuming large amounts of protein without other nutrients could lead to a condition known as protein poisoning, as noted in the research.

"The sheer size and extraordinary preservation of the Neumark-Nord site complex gives us a unique chance to study how Neanderthals impacted their environment, both animal and plant life," Dr. Fulco Scherjon, data manager and computer scientist on the project, said. "That’s rare for a site this old and it opens new possibilities for future research."

Additional Neanderthal Behaviors

In recent years, scientists have also found evidence that Neanderthals collected seashells, which they shaped into cutting tools using stone hammers. Another study suggested that Neanderthals may have buried their dead with flowers.