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A new analysis of fossils found in a Spanish cave shows that Neanderthals were capable of abstract thinking before any interaction with Homo sapiens. A total of 15 small marine fossils were found in the Prado Vargas cave in Burgos, and according to researchers from the University of Burgos and the University of Malaga in Spain, most of them would have little practical value.
This means that these fossilized sea creatures were most likely collectibles, deliberately collected by ancient hominids for some purpose other than basic utility. This indicates abstract thinking, the ability to think beyond current and immediate experience, a key human trait.
"The fossils, with one exception, show no evidence that they were used as tools," the researchers wrote in their published paper. "Thus, their presence in the cave can be attributed to collecting." "This activity could have been motivated by a number of material and non-material reasons, suggesting that collecting and the associated abstract thinking were present in Neanderthals before the emergence of modern humans."
The more we learn about our distant relatives, the more intelligent they seem. This is not the first time Neanderthals have collected objects other than tools, but this haul is larger than previous finds. Dated to approximately 39–800 years ago, the fossils appear to have been part of an established community camp.
However, it is difficult to determine which of the "material and immaterial reasons" applies here. Researchers suggest the possibility that they had decorative value, were used in exchange, gave a group a cultural identity, or perhaps were collected as gifts. They could even have been toys for children, as there is evidence that children lived in the cave. In short, the reasons for collecting are potentially as varied as the reasons we continue to collect objects today.
"They could have been found intentionally or accidentally, but their transportation to the cave was probably deliberate, implying a desire to collect these fossils," the researchers write. "In any case, they would have a special meaning."
Regardless of what these collectibles were used for, it is significant that there is no evidence of early human activity in the area at the same time; it appears to be a behavior that Neanderthals developed on their own.
Our penchant for collecting goes back a long way – perhaps half a million years – but there is much debate about when it actually began and from what species. Fossils from Prado Vargas offer exciting new insights into the time frame of collecting and considering concepts beyond the immediate here and now.
"These fossils can be understood as evidence of artistic interest or attraction or curiosity about the forms of nature," the researchers write. "They have no utilitarian purpose and so their interpretation is controversial." The study was published in Quaternary:.
