Researchers from Trent University in Italy have taken a closer look at the everyday eating habits of Neanderthals, shedding light on a surprisingly sophisticated culinary world. The study, published in a prominent scientific journal, argues that Neanderthals engaged in cooking and dietary practices that reveal a level of planning, tool use, and cultural expression that rivals early modern humans. The findings contribute to a growing view that Neanderthals were more complex than once assumed and help place their culinary behavior within a broader human narrative.
The research team contends that Neanderthals demonstrated symbolic thought and the capacity to create objects of artistic or personal value. They also appeared to adorn themselves with ornaments, suggesting social and cultural behaviors that extended beyond mere survival. Central to the argument is the idea that Neanderthals maintained a diverse dietary repertoire, incorporating a range of animal proteins and plant foods into their meals. The interpretation is that cooking played a key role in sustaining this varied diet, enabling the safe consumption of a wider array of foods and enhancing the palatability and digestibility of certain resources.
A crucial aspect of the study involved examining Neanderthal sites within the Gurta de Oliveira cave complex in central Portugal. The team identified locations that show evidence of long-standing use for cooking, including hearths and heat-altered bone fragments. These findings point to repeated culinary activity at the site, suggesting that food preparation was not a one-off event but a sustained practice that shaped daily life for these ancient people.
Analyses of burnt bone fragments indicate that Neanderthals roasted a variety of meats, including deer, goat, horse, bison, and even rhinoceros. There is also evidence for cooking non-meat resources, such as turtles boiled in their shells on hot stones. Parallel discoveries have revealed that early human ancestors also cooked fish, shellfish, and pine nuts, illustrating a shared tendency across distinct hominin groups to leverage heat to expand their dietary options. The convergence of these cooking practices underscores a common human strategy for harnessing the nutritional value of diverse ecosystems.
Despite the wealth of archaeological data, the exact methods Neanderthals used to ignite and sustain fire remain uncertain. The leading hypothesis suggests they could have generated sparks with flint and other striking stones, though definitive evidence remains elusive. This uncertainty does not diminish the significance of the broader pattern: controlled fire use appears to have been a foundational capability that supported cooking and, by extension, more elaborate dietary choices. Source: PLOS One
Beyond the mechanics of fire, the discoveries invite a reevaluation of Neanderthal ingenuity. If they cooked and prepared food with deliberate techniques, they likely possessed knowledge about seasonal resources, food safety, and perhaps even taste preferences. The capacity to select ingredients, process them, and transform raw materials into enjoyable meals implies a level of collective knowledge and shared practices within Neanderthal groups. Such behavior aligns with a model of social learning where knowledge is transmitted across generations, reinforcing group identity and cohesion.
In sum, the evidence from Gurta de Oliveira adds depth to the portrait of Neanderthals as capable and adaptable neighbors in the broader human family. Their apparent culinary sophistication, combined with symbolic expression and social ornamentation, suggests a culture with a coherent set of practices and beliefs. This evolving understanding helps bridge gaps between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, offering a richer view of how cooking, culture, and cognition intertwined across our ancient past. The conclusions contribute to a more nuanced narrative about the origins of cooking and its role in shaping human evolution.
These insights come from a careful integration of site archaeology, zooarchaeology, and experimental observations, illustrating how modern researchers reconstruct ancient recipes of life. As the field advances, scientists anticipate further discoveries that will illuminate not only what Neanderthals ate, but how their culinary choices related to social structure, territory, and the daily routines that sustained their communities. The work reinforces the idea that cooking is a fundamental human behavior with deep roots that extend into the distant past. This growing body of evidence continues to reshape our understanding of who the Neanderthals were and where their culinary ingenuity fits within the broader story of humanity.