ZAP // Erich Ferdinand / Flickr
Homo Neanderthalensis, the man of Neanderthal
A new investigation reveals a great diversity of Neanderthal funeral practices in the Iberian Peninsula, with a systematic disposition of bodies in caves.
For decades, researchers have questioned whether neanderthals were involved in funeral practices, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula. Unlike other parts of Europe, where burials were documented, the archaeological registration in Spain and Portugal seemed need for such evidence.
A new study, however, suggests that the Iberian Neanderthals showed various mortuary behaviors and intentional, leading to a reevaluation of the way these ancient humans dealt with death.
O, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, reviewed fossil evidence of Neanderthal and pre-neanderthal populations in the Iberian Peninsula, dating from 400 000 to 40,000 years. Although no formal burial was found, the team discovered Intentional deposition patterns of bodies in caves. These repeated practices indicate that neanderthals did not simply leave their dead or scattered, but deliberately placed them in specific places.
“The absence of formal burials in the Iberian Peninsula does not mean that the Neanderthals here did not have funeral behavior,” said the main author, athemi Sala. “On the contrary, the findings invite us to expand our understanding of what constitutes funeral behavior. ”
The researchers considered and ruled out alternative explanations, such as carnivores to drag bodies to caves or accidental accumulations. Instead, the tests showed the systematic disposal of remains Over time, which, although not a burial in the conventional sense, does not fail to represent a form of funeral practice.
The strategic position of the Iberian Peninsula has made it a meeting point for different Neanderthal strains and other ancient human groups. These populations underwent repeated climate change that influenced survival and adaptation. However, surprisingly, the study did not find a direct correlation between climate change and funeral practices. Instead, mortuary behaviors seem reflect independent cultural traditions Of environmental pressures, it refers.
The discoveries highlight a diversity so far underestimated in Neanderthal cultural life and not only reformulates our understanding of the Iberian Neanderthals, but also highlights the cultural variation between the Neanderthal populations of all Eurasia.
