Neamderthal Achievements

[Robert Henvell]

The lakeside butchering and knapping site at Koninsaue,Germany
 provides information about Neanderthal technical expertise about
80Ka.Two lumps of birch bark pitch were retrieved from different
cultural horizons.One had the imprint of a retouched stone artifact
and a wood surface.The other had a partial thumb print.Both birch
bark pitch lumps,which were chemically analyzed had been
moulded into shape by hand.A piece of soft wood,which was
 retrieved from the site,could have been a bark peeler,[Mania,1973].

Birch bark pitch is the only known mastic,that was used to haft
implements in Middle Palaeolithic Europe.During this era bitumen
was utilized in the Near East.The preparation of birch bark pitch is
a complex process.The pitch can only be obtained from a fire in an
anoxic environment,which maintains a relatively constant heat
between 340 and 370 degrees C.Deviation from this range can
 produce tar.The pitch was allowed to cool and was kneaded,
while it was still warm and malleable.The composite tool was set
aside to harden.Retooling could be achieved by reheating the pitch
and attaching a new lithic component,[R Sykes,2008].

The ability to haft composite tools indicates that Neanderthals had
the capacity to plan and implement complex technical procedures
over 35Ka before Homo sapiens set foot in Germany.

[lagarvelho]

Robert:

The birch pitch hafting(and the use of bitumen for the same purpose in the Middle East) has been known for some years now.  And yes, it does indicate that N's were capable of complex strategies and planning.  With both substances, you have to apply heat of a certain temperature to get the kind of "glue" that is necessary to attach the hafted implement to the wooden handle of whatever tool is being created.  These activities, it seems to me, also imply some pretty complex language and "symboling" capacities, since the information about how to complete these processes was probably passed along from one Neandertal to another. Part of this could have been by younger people observing older ones, of course, but the older ones would doubtless have been saying something about how these things were done.
Anne G

[Robert Henvell]

Apologies the reference did not post.
Sticking things together:Situating Composite Technology and Landscape in the Palaeolithic,Rebecca Wragg Sykes,2008.
The paper was given at the recent conference in Ireland,which ended the 3rd or 4th of June.

[trehinp]

Thanks Robert and Anne,

Neanderthal achievements are in the news... The French National Prehistory Museum, located in "Les Eyzies de Taillac in Dordogne, proposes a welle documented exhibition dedicated to Neanderthal from June 28 to November 12.Click here for more (in French)

I have not had the possibility to visit that exhibition yet, however comments I heard on the radio were excellent. One of these comments confirmed my feeling that there must have been reciprocal cultural exchanges between Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens Sapiens. The later probably learning from the former as much as in the opposite way, contrary to the vision of a Neanderthal whose use of modern stone tools was but a pale imitation of Homo Sapiens Sapiens technology, vision that was pervasive a few years ago.

On the question of language, and for those of you who read French, there is s recent book "La plus belle Histoire du Langage" (The most beautiful history of language) cosigned by four experts, each bringing his/her knowledge on the subject.

Pascal Picq, Laurent Sagart, Ghislaine Dehaene, Cécile Lestienne , "La plus belle histoire du langage", Edition du Seuil, Paris Janvier 2008

In that book, written for non specialists, the authors seem to say that Neanderthal must have had a rather sophisticated language.

I think that we have not yet finished to be surprised by the capabilities of our nearest cousin...

Paul

[lagarvelho]

Paul:
I, for one, have never had any doubt that Neandertals had  a language!  Why should they not have had one?  How else would they have communicated the way to create their tools(among other things)?
anne G