Study Finds Neanderthals, H. sapiens Shared Culture for 20,000 Years at Turkish Cave
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 7
Study Finds Neanderthals, H. sapiens Shared Culture for 20,000 Years at Turkish Cave
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 7
Summary
More than 20,000 years of cultural overlap between Neanderthals and H. sapiens is suggested by a new PNAS study of Üçağızlı II Cave in southern Türkiye.
Five years of excavation uncovered fossils, stone tools, animal and plant remains, and shells indicating both groups used similar hunting strategies, technologies and possibly symbolic objects.
The cave sequence places Neanderthals there about 77,000 to 59,000 years ago and H. sapiens about 59,000 to 47,000 years ago, pointing to cultural continuity even without clear simultaneous occupation.
Mollusk shells once linked only to modern humans were also selectively collected by Neanderthals, strengthening the case that knowledge and symbolic preferences moved between the two groups.
The 50,000- to 60,000-year-old modern human fossils also bear on the Out of Africa story, potentially representing either ancestors of later non-African populations or an earlier migration wave.
Could ancient jewelry prove Neanderthals and modern humans were cultural neighbors, not strangers?
Did our ancestors simply replace Neanderthals, or did their cultures merge before one vanished?
If Neanderthals shared our ancestors' culture, why are we the only humans left?
Shared Material Culture at Üçağızlı II Cave Reveals Neanderthal-Modern Human Interaction 59,000 Years Ago
Overview
A recent study published in PNAS reveals that Neanderthals and modern humans at Üçağızlı II Cave in southern Turkey, about 59,000 years ago, shared material culture such as sophisticated stone tools and symbolic marine shells. This discovery highlights an unprecedented cultural continuity in the archaeological layers, showing that both groups were not just coexisting but actively participating in similar cultural traditions and sharing knowledge. These findings challenge the old view that Neanderthals and modern humans had distinct cultural practices, offering a new perspective on their interactions and cognitive abilities.