Neanderthal Bone Processing Site from 125,000 Years Ago Identified

Stone Age humans living near a lake in present-day Germany systematically processed animal carcasses to extract fatty nutrients. Researchers describe this activity as large-scale bone boiling, based on new findings.

Archaeologists analyzed approximately 120,000 bone fragments and 16,000 flint tools recovered over several years at the Neumark-Nord site, located south of Halle. The artifacts were found alongside evidence of fire use.

The study suggests that Neanderthals, who inhabited the area around 125,000 years ago, broke marrow-rich bones into fragments with stone tools and then boiled them for several hours to extract fat. The fat would float to the surface and could be collected after cooling.

This process would have required planning, including hunting, transporting, and storing carcasses beyond immediate consumption, and rendering fat in a designated area. The findings provide insight into the organization and survival strategies of the group.

Neanderthal Capabilities

Wil Roebroeks, a coauthor of the study and professor of Paleolithic archaeology at Leiden University, noted that the evidence challenges previous assumptions about Neanderthal capabilities.

Recent archaeological discoveries have indicated that Neanderthals engaged in activities such as making yarn and glue, engraving bones and cave walls, and creating jewelry from eagle talons. These findings suggest a higher level of sophistication than previously thought.

The new research also indicates that Neanderthals may have had a complex approach to nutrition.

Researchers believe that Neanderthals smashed animal bones into fragments before boiling them to extract the nutrients.

Protein Poisoning and Nutritional Strategies

According to the study, Neanderthals at the German site over a 300-year period appeared to understand the nutritional value of bone grease.

Fat is an essential part of a balanced diet, particularly for hunter-gatherers who relied heavily on animal foods. A diet high in lean meat but low in fat can lead to a form of malnutrition known as protein poisoning, where the body's ability to process excess protein is impaired.

To avoid this condition, Neanderthals with average body weights between 50 and 80 kilograms (110 to 175 pounds) would have needed to keep protein intake below 300 grams (about 10 ounces) per day. This amount provides around 1,200 calories, which is less than daily energy requirements. Therefore, additional calories would need to come from fat or carbohydrates.

Muscle meat contains little fat, making bones a more important source of nutrients. The majority of remains at the site came from 172 large animals, such as horses, deer, and aurochs. Neanderthals selected the longest bones, which contained the most marrow.

Bone Processing Methods

The exact methods used by Neanderthals to process bones are not fully known. Study authors suggest that they may have used containers made from birch bark, animal skins, or stomach linings, filled them with water, and heated them over a fire.

Geoff Smith, a coauthor and senior researcher in zooarchaeology at the University of Reading, proposed that Neanderthals could have consumed the extracted fat as a broth, possibly adding plants for flavor and nutritional value. Charred remains of hazelnut, acorn, and sloe plum were also found at the site.

"These weren’t simple hunter-gatherers just getting by day to day — they were master planners who could look ahead, organise complex tasks, and squeeze every last calorie from their environment," Smith said.

Expert Commentary

Ludovic Slimak, an archaeologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and Paul Sabatier University, who was not involved in the study, stated that the findings provide archaeological confirmation that Neanderthals valued within-bone lipids and developed strategies to extract and process them.

"This aligns closely with the broader archaeological record, which shows Neanderthals as highly skilled big-game hunters with a refined sense of ecological adaptation," Slimak added.

Bruce Hardy, professor of anthropology at Kenyon College, also not involved in the research, described the Neumark-Nord site as a significant example of bone-grease rendering from this period. He noted that the combination of evidence at the site is substantial and may represent strong evidence for Neanderthal bone-grease processing.