Neanderthals collected horned skulls in a cave. Why?

New research indicates that the skulls of 35 large herbivores kept by Neanderthals in the Descubierta Cave in Spain were not taken all at once.

A new archaeological investigation published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences has deepened the mystery surrounding an impressive concentration of animal skulls found in the Des-Cubierta Cave in central Spain.

The site, excavated since 2009, contains layers rich in Mousterian stone tools, a material culture closely associated with Neanderthals across Europe. Along with the tools, archaeologists discovered an unusual accumulation of animal remains, dominated almost entirely by skulls.

Set includes upper portions of skulls at least 35 large herbivores: 28 cattle, five deer and two rhinos. Notably absent are most other skeletal elements, such as the jaws, limbs and cheekbones, reinforcing the hypothesis that the skulls were selectively transported to the cave, says .

The new study, led by Lucía Villaescusa, from the University of Alcalá, combined geological, spatial and taphonomic analyzes to reconstruct how the group formed. The researchers examined the distribution of rock debris and artifacts, reassembled fragmented bones, and assessed their conservation status. The results indicate that a rockslide initially created a cone of debris within a narrow gallery of the cave. Only after this event did Neanderthals begin to take animal skulls to the site.

Crucially, the skulls were not deposited all at once. Instead, the pattern of separation between layers shows repeated episodes of deposition over an extended period during the Late Middle Paleolithic, approximately 70,000 to 50,000 years ago. This suggests sustained and structured behavior rather than opportunistic scavenging of game remains.

Deliberate accumulations of animal skulls are rare in the archaeological recordand its purpose remains unexplained. The absence of butchery remains and the selective transport of skulls, which are heavy and difficult to move objects, raise the possibility that the practice had symbolic or ritual significance for the Neanderthal groups that used the cave. Although definitive interpretations are impossible, the repetitive nature of the activity points to a tradition that has been maintained and passed down for generations.