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Image Credit: Baquedano et al. Nature Human Behaviour (2023) CC-BY-4.0
Neanderthals Repeatedly Collected Animal Skulls in a Spanish Cave
Archaeologists have found evidence that Neanderthals repeatedly collected and arranged animal skulls inside a cave in central Spain more than 43,000 years ago, pointing to cultural practices that extended beyond basic survival needs.
The discoveries come from Des-Cubierta cave in central Spain, where excavations revealed 35 large mammal skulls, mainly from horned or antlered species such as bison and wild cattle. Notably, most lower jaws were absent, and the skulls belonged exclusively to animals with horns or antlers.
More than 1,400 stone tools typical of Neanderthal Mousterian technology were found in the same archaeological layer. Detailed spatial analysis showed that the bones and tools were not randomly accumulated by natural processes. Instead, the skulls had been deliberately placed in specific areas of the cave.
Researchers distinguished human activity from natural disturbances such as rockfalls, which affected the cave over thousands of years. Their analysis indicates that Neanderthals returned to the cave repeatedly between roughly 135,000 and 43,000 years ago, particularly during colder climatic periods.
The repeated and selective placement of horned skulls suggests a long-lasting tradition passed down through generations. Because the cave does not appear to have been used as a living space and the skulls show no clear link to food processing, the behavior is not easily explained by subsistence needs.
While the exact meaning of this practice remains uncertain, the findings indicate that Neanderthals engaged in shared cultural behaviors and maintained traditions over long periods. The study adds to growing evidence that Neanderthal societies expressed complex social and cultural patterns, even if their symbolic worlds differed from those of later human populations.
Published on: 30-01-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Live Science