Neanderthals, our extinct predecessors, were not only the first to hunt and slaughter huge carnivores like cave lions, but they also used their hides for cultural purposes and possibly clothing, according to a recent scholarly article published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The study looked at the remains of two Eurasian cave lions unearthed in Germany 34 years apart.
One practically complete set of bones was discovered in 1985 at Siegsdorf and dates back around 48,000 years.
The other find, which consists of two toe bones and a little paw bone lodged in a destroyed fur, was made in 2019 in the Unicorn Cave in the Harz Mountains and dates back roughly 190,000 years.
These lions existed in Europe when Neanderthals were the only human species. Neanderthals existed around 42,000 years before Homo sapiens.
What did the study uncover?
The discovery calls into doubt a long-debated zooarchaeological question: Were early hominids hunters or the hunted?
Siegsdorf’s findings are the first definite proof that people actively targeted powerful cave lions, the top predators of the time.
This discovery reshapes humanity’s knowledge of early human capabilities and calls into question previously held beliefs about Neanderthals.
Neanderthals were once thought to be scavengers incapable of hunting.
Reexamining the facts, however, revealed that their powers were more sophisticated. They are considered to have had a complex language, practiced spirituality as evidenced by ritual funerals, and were adept hunters and gatherers.
The cave lion, which was larger than modern lions, earned its name from its association with cave bear dens, which served as its prey.
There was no concrete evidence of Neanderthals purposefully hunting huge animals, especially apex predators like cave lions, who ranged widely across northern Eurasia and Alaska from 370,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C. until this study.