A Toe Bone Hints That Neandertals Used Eagle Talons as Jewelry
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A toe bone hints that Neandertals used eagle talons as jewelry
An ancient eagle's toe bone featuring stone tool incisions addsto evidence that Neandertals made pendants or other ornaments out of birds' talons,researchers conclude in the Nov. 1 ScienceAdvances.
Excavations in Foradada Cave, near northeastern Spain'sMediterranean coast, have produced a roughly 39,000-year-old imperial eagle toefossil. Stone tool marks on the bone were likely made when someone removeda talon from the bird's foot, say archaeologist Antonio Rodriguez-Hidalgoof Madrid's Institute of Human Evolution in Africa and colleagues. Neandertalshave been linked to the style of stone artifacts found in the cave, thescientists add.
Only 12 bones from imperial eagles and other birds of prey,including seven toe bones and a talon, were found in the cave. No signs of burnedsediment or cooking areas turned up, suggesting that these creatures weresought for talons and not as food, the scientists say.
This discovery joins similarfinds of avian toe bones and claws at 10 southern European sites dating tobetween 130,000 and 42,000 years ago that have been attributed to Neandertals (SN: 3/20/15).
Citations: A. Rodriguez-Hidalgo et al. The ChEftelperronian Neanderthals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes. Science Advances. Vol. 5, November 1, 2019. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax1984.
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