It can be quite challenging to determine what Neanderthals ate, especially since smaller animals like birds do not leave many traces in the archaeological record. While we do know that they consumed cooked crab, seafood, and hunted larger game, gaining more insight into their diets is crucial for understanding how these adaptable hominins thrived in diverse environments. To delve deeper into this topic, a team of researchers conducted an experiment where they cooked modern birds using tools and methods similar to what Neanderthals would have had access to. The findings of this study were published on July 24 in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology.
[Related: Humans have been eating hazelnuts for at least 6,000 years.]
“The process of butchering with a flint flake required a level of precision and effort that we had not fully appreciated prior to this experiment,” stated Mariana Nabais, an archaeologist and co-author of the study from the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social in Spain. “The sharpness of the flakes necessitated careful handling to make precise cuts without causing injury to our own fingers. These hands-on experiments highlighted the practical challenges Neanderthals faced in food processing and cooking, offering a tangible connection to their daily lives and survival strategies.”
Neanderthal butchers
While Neanderthals were known to hunt large animals, such as cave lions, there is less information available about the smaller avian species they consumed. To address this gap, the research team tested food preparation methods that Neanderthals might have used on various wild birds. The goal was to observe the tool marks left on animal bones and compare them to damage caused by natural factors.
The researchers established an experimental database that could be used for comparison with real archaeological findings. They acquired five wild birds that had died naturally from the Wildlife Ecology, Rehabilitation and Surveillance Centre in Gouveia, Portugal. These included two carrion crows, two collared doves, and a wood pigeon – species similar to those Neanderthals may have eaten. The cooking methods selected were based on evidence from the archaeological record and ethnographic data.
Each bird was hand-defeathered, with one collared dove and one carrion crow being butchered raw using a flint flake. The remaining three birds were roasted over hot coals before being butchered. The researchers found that the roasting method made butchering easier compared to processing raw birds.
“Roasting the birds over coals required maintaining a consistent temperature and closely monitoring the cooking time to prevent overcooking,” Nabais explained. “Due to defeathering the birds prior to cooking, the roasting process was faster than anticipated. In fact, more time was spent preparing the coals than on the actual cooking, which took less than ten minutes.”
Bones that are not built to last
The team then cleaned and dried the bones, examining them under a microscope for cut marks, fractures, and burns. They also inspected the flint flake used for signs of wear and tear during butchering.
While most of the butchery was done by hand, the raw birds required the use of the flint flake, leaving crescent-shaped scars on the tool’s edge. Cuts made to extract meat from the raw birds did not leave marks on the bones, but cuts aimed at tendons left similar marks to those found on bird remains at archaeological sites.
The bones of the roasted birds were more fragile, with some completely shattering and becoming unrecoverable. Nearly all of them exhibited black or brown burns consistent with controlled exposure to heat. These findings provide insights into how Neanderthal food preparation may have occurred and highlight the challenges in identifying such remains in the archaeological record. While roasting facilitated access to the meat, the increased fragility of the bones could make them less likely to be preserved for archaeologists.
[Related: Bronze Age nomads used cauldrons for blood sausage and yak milk.]
Future studies aiming to enhance our understanding of Neanderthal diets could involve a wider range of prey species and explore the processing of birds for non-food purposes, such as feathers or talons.
“The study’s sample size is relatively small, consisting of only five bird specimens, which may not fully represent the diversity of bird species consumed by Neanderthals,” Nabais pointed out. “Additionally, while the experimental conditions were carefully controlled, they cannot perfectly replicate the exact environmental and cultural contexts of Neanderthal life. Further research with larger sample sizes, diverse species, and varied experimental conditions is necessary to build upon these initial findings.”
