125,000-year-old site used as ‘fat factory' by Neanderthals unearthed in Germany
To get energy you had to spend it, so when an animal was killed it wasn't just the meat ancient people were after — they wanted the fat.
Now, at a site in eastern Germany, archaeologists have discovered a place where animals were processed and their fat extracted in what they are calling a 'fat factory,' according to a study published July 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.
The site, called Neumark-Nord, was first discovered back in the 1980s and has been the subject of many years of excavations, according to a July 2 news release from Leiden University, which was involved in the study.
It's about 125,000 years old and covers a 74-acre area that creates a 'snapshot' of ancient hunting and processing, according to the study.
Neumark-Nord was used by Neanderthals, categorized as hunter-gatherers that could weigh between 110 and 176 pounds, researchers said. This means they only needed about 1200 calories per day to sustain themselves, but if they relied solely on protein to reach that number, they could suffer from a condition known as 'rabbit starvation,' according to the study.
'For mobile foragers, obtaining fat can become a life-sustaining necessity during periods when carbohydrates are scarce or unavailable, such as during the winter or spring,' researchers said.
Across the site, archaeologists found tens of thousands of animal remains, including 26,003 bone specimens that could be measured, according to the study.
Most of them were very small and they had evidence of fragmentation that occurred when the bones were fresh, researchers said.
They found bones belonging to at least 172 large mammals processed at the site, ranging from straight-tusked elephants to smaller deer, according to the release.
The team also found 'abundant evidence for fire use' in burnt stones, heated bones and leftover charcoal, according to the study. The heat could have been used to boil the fat out of the bones, as evidence of Neanderthals boiling their food has been found at other sites.
'Bones, especially long-bone epiphyses (joints) and vertebrae, are broken into small fragments with a stone hammer and then boiled for several hours to extract the grease, which floats to the surface and is skimmed off upon cooling,' according to the study. 'For foragers heavily dependent on animal foods, bone grease provides a calorie-dense nonprotein food source that can play a critical role in staving off rabbit starvation.'
'What makes Neumark-Nord so exceptional is the preservation of an entire landscape, not just a single site,' study author Wil Roebroeks said in the release. 'We see Neanderthals hunting and minimally butchering deer in one area, processing elephants intensively in another, and — as this study shows — rendering fat from hundreds of mammal skeletons in a centralized location. There's even some evidence of plant use, which is rarely preserved. This broad range of behaviors in the same landscape gives us a much richer picture of their culture.'
The entire 'fat factory' shows Neanderthals were capable of planning ahead, processing their food and using their environment in various, sophisticated ways, researchers said.
'The sheer size and extraordinary preservation of the Neumark-Nord site complex gives us a unique chance to study how Neanderthals impacted their environment, both animal and plant life,' study author Fulco Scherjon said in the release. 'That's incredibly rare for a site this old — and it opens exciting new possibilities for future research.'
This practice has been documented as far back as 28,000 years ago, but has not been confirmed at older sites, making Neumark-Nord the oldest known Neanderthal fat processing site, according to the study.
The archaeological site is just south of the city of Halle, in east-central Germany.
The research team includes Roebroeks, Scherjon, Lutz Kindler, Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser, Alejandro Garcia-Moreno, Geoff M. Smith, Eduard Pop and John D. Speth.
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Fox News
16 hours ago
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Neanderthals extracted animal fat in advanced food prep process 125,000 years ago: report
Neanderthals living 125,000 years ago in what is now modern-day Germany may have extracted and eaten fat from animal bones through an organized food preparation process that scientists describe as a 'fat factory.' While excavating the site of a former lake landscape called Neumark-Nord, archaeologists discovered thousands of bones from at least 172 large mammals, along with flint artifacts. The bones, which date back to an interglacial period in which Neanderthals lived, were from animals like red deer and horses, according to a study published on July 2 in Science Advances. While many of the bones that contained less bone marrow were spread out across the archaeological site, researchers observed that many of the marrow-rich bones were located in clusters — sites they call 'fat factories.' Researchers believe our extinct ancestors used tools to smash the bones into small fragments and then boiled them for hours. The grease, which then floated to the surface of the water, could be skimmed off the top and eaten — providing a calorie-dense food source for the archaic people. Prior to this, evidence of the practice had only dated back to 28,000 years ago, according to the research. "Neanderthals were clearly managing resources with precision — planning hunts, transporting carcasses, and rendering fat in a task-specific area," Dr. Lutz Kindler, the study's first author, said. "They understood both the nutritional value of fat and how to access it efficiently — most likely involving caching carcass parts at places in the landscape for later transport to and use at the grease rendering site. Fat was a "life-sustaining" resource for Neanderthals, especially during the winter and spring seasons when carbohydrates were scarce. Their diets consisted largely of animal protein, and consuming lots of protein without other nutrients could lead to a sometimes deadly condition called protein poisoning, the research noted. "The sheer size and extraordinary preservation of the Neumark-Nord site complex gives us a unique chance to study how Neanderthals impacted their environment, both animal and plant life," Dr. Fulco Scherjon, data manager and computer scientist on the project, said. "That's incredibly rare for a site this old—and it opens exciting new possibilities for future research." In recent years, scientists have also discovered that Neanderthals went diving for seashells that they could chip with stone hammers into thin and sharp cutting edges. Similarly, another study suggested Neanderthals may have buried their dead with flowers. Researchers Lutz Kindler and Wil Roebroeks did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
125,000-year-old ‘fat factory' run by Neanderthals discovered in Germany
Stone Age humans living by a lake in what's now Germany systematically processed animal carcasses for fatty nutrients — essentially running what scientists describe as a 'fat factory' to boil bones on a vast scale, according to new research. Archaeologists uncovered the factory by analyzing some 120,000 bone fragments and 16,000 flint tools unearthed over several years at a site known as Neumark-Nord, south of the city of Halle, they reported in a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. Excavators found the artifacts alongside evidence of fire use. The researchers believe that Neanderthals, an extinct species of human known to have lived in that area as far back as 125,000 years ago, smashed the marrow-rich bones into fragments with stone hammers, then boiled them for several hours to extract the fat, which floats to the surface and can be skimmed off upon cooling. Since this feat would have involved planning hunts, transporting and storing carcasses beyond immediate food needs, and rendering the fat in an area designated specially for the task, the finding helps paint a picture of the group's organization, strategy and deeply honed survival skills. 'This attitude that Neanderthals were dumb — this is another data point that proves otherwise,' said Wil Roebroeks, study coauthor and professor of Paleolithic archaeology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. A string of archaeological discoveries in recent decades have showed that Neanderthals were smarter than their original brutish stereotype might suggest. The ancient humans lived across Eurasia and disappeared 40,000 years ago, and previous studies have found they made yarn and glue, engraved bones and cave walls, and assembled jewelry from eagle talons. Details in the new research suggest that Neanderthals may have been unexpectedly sophisticated in their approach to nutrition, too. The Neanderthals living at the German site over a 300-year period also clearly understood the nutritional value of the bone grease they produced, according to the study. A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. The substance was even more essential for hunter-gatherers, such as Neanderthals, who likely depended heavily on animal foods. A diet dominated by lean meat and deficient in fatty acids can lead to a debilitating and sometimes lethal form of malnutrition, in which the capacity of liver enzymes to break down the protein and get rid of excess nitrogen is impaired, the researchers noted in their paper. Known today as protein poisoning, the condition earned a reputation among early European explorers of North America as 'rabbit poisoning' or 'mal de caribou.' Hunter-gatherers such as Neanderthals, with average body weights between 50 kilograms and 80 kilograms (110 pounds and 175 pounds), would have had to keep their consumption of dietary protein below 300 grams (about 10 ounces) per day to avoid the condition. That amounts to around 1,200 calories — a level of intake far short of daily energy needs, according to the research. As a result, the Neanderthals likely needed to source the remaining calories from a nonprotein source, either fat or carbohydrate. Cuts of meat from animal muscle contain very little fat, making bones — which contain marrow and other fatty tissue even when an animal is malnourished — a more important resource. The researchers discovered that the overwhelming majority of remains at the site came from 172 individual large animals, including horses, deer and aurochs, large cow-like creatures that are now extinct. Neanderthals had selected the longest bones that would have contained the most marrow, the study found. Exactly how the Neanderthals processed the bones isn't clear, according to the study authors. The ancient humans likely fashioned containers or pots from birch bark, animal skins or other body parts such as stomach linings, filling them with water and hanging them over a fire, Roebroeks said. Neanderthals could have consumed the fat they produced as a 'greasy broth' to which plants may have been added for flavor as well as nutritional value, suggested study coauthor Geoff Smith, a senior researcher in zooarchaeology at the University of Reading. The charred remains of hazelnut, acorn and sloe plum were also found during the excavations, he noted. 'These weren't simple hunter-gatherers just getting by day to day — they were master planners who could look ahead, organise complex tasks, and squeeze every last calorie from their environment,' Smith said. The findings are 'exciting,' according to Ludovic Slimak, an archaeologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. Slimak wasn't involved in the study. 'They finally offer clear archaeological confirmation of what many of us had long suspected: that Neanderthals not only valued within-bone lipids but developed specific strategies to extract and process them,' said Slimak, who is the author of the 'The Last Neanderthal,' which will be published in English later this year. 'This aligns closely with the broader archaeological record, which shows Neanderthals as highly skilled big-game hunters with a refined sense of ecological adaptation,' he added. The Neumark-Nord site is 'the best example yet of bone-grease rendering,' from this period of the Stone Age, said Bruce Hardy, the J. Kenneth Smail Professor of Anthropology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Hardy also was not involved in the research. 'The combination of evidence presented here at Neumark-Nord is impressive,' Hardy said. 'It may well represent the smoldering gun, or simmering bone broth, of Neanderthal bone-grease rendering.'
CNN
a day ago
- CNN
Discovered: A Neanderthal ‘fat factory' from 125,000 years ago
Stone Age humans living by a lake in what's now Germany systematically processed animal carcasses for fatty nutrients — essentially running what scientists describe as a 'fat factory' to boil bones on a vast scale, according to new research. Archaeologists uncovered the factory by analyzing some 120,000 bone fragments and 16,000 flint tools unearthed over several years at a site known as Neumark-Nord, south of the city of Halle, they reported in a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. Excavators found the artifacts alongside evidence of fire use. The researchers believe that Neanderthals, an extinct species of human known to have lived in that area as far back as 125,000 years ago, smashed the marrow-rich bones into fragments with stone hammers, then boiled them for several hours to extract the fat, which floats to the surface and can be skimmed off upon cooling. Since this feat would have involved planning hunts, transporting and storing carcasses beyond immediate food needs, and rendering the fat in an area designated specially for the task, the finding helps paint a picture of the group's organization, strategy and deeply honed survival skills. 'This attitude that Neanderthals were dumb — this is another data point that proves otherwise,' said Wil Roebroeks, study coauthor and professor of Paleolithic archaeology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. A string of archaeological discoveries in recent decades have showed that Neanderthals were smarter than their original brutish stereotype might suggest. The ancient humans lived across Eurasia and disappeared 40,000 years ago, and previous studies have found they made yarn and glue, engraved bones and cave walls, and assembled jewelry from eagle talons. Details in the new research suggest that Neanderthals may have been unexpectedly sophisticated in their approach to nutrition, too. The Neanderthals living at the German site over a 300-year period also clearly understood the nutritional value of the bone grease they produced, according to the study. A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. The substance was even more essential for hunter-gatherers, such as Neanderthals, who likely depended heavily on animal foods. A diet dominated by lean meat and deficient in fatty acids can lead to a debilitating and sometimes lethal form of malnutrition, in which the capacity of liver enzymes to break down the protein and get rid of excess nitrogen is impaired, the researchers noted in their paper. Known today as protein poisoning, the condition earned a reputation among early European explorers of North America as 'rabbit poisoning' or 'mal de caribou.' Hunter-gatherers such as Neanderthals, with average body weights between 50 kilograms and 80 kilograms (110 pounds and 175 pounds), would have had to keep their consumption of dietary protein below 300 grams (about 10 ounces) per day to avoid the condition. That amounts to around 1,200 calories — a level of intake far short of daily energy needs, according to the research. As a result, the Neanderthals likely needed to source the remaining calories from a nonprotein source, either fat or carbohydrate. Cuts of meat from animal muscle contain very little fat, making bones — which contain marrow and other fatty tissue even when an animal is malnourished — a more important resource. The researchers discovered that the overwhelming majority of remains at the site came from 172 individual large animals, including horses, deer and aurochs, large cow-like creatures that are now extinct. Neanderthals had selected the longest bones that would have contained the most marrow, the study found. Exactly how the Neanderthals processed the bones isn't clear, according to the study authors. The ancient humans likely fashioned containers or pots from birch bark, animal skins or other body parts such as stomach linings, filling them with water and hanging them over a fire, Roebroeks said. Neanderthals could have consumed the fat they produced as a 'greasy broth' to which plants may have been added for flavor as well as nutritional value, suggested study coauthor Geoff Smith, a senior researcher in zooarchaeology at the University of Reading. The charred remains of hazelnut, acorn and sloe plum were also found during the excavations, he noted. 'These weren't simple hunter-gatherers just getting by day to day — they were master planners who could look ahead, organise complex tasks, and squeeze every last calorie from their environment,' Smith said. The findings are 'exciting,' according to Ludovic Slimak, an archaeologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. Slimak wasn't involved in the study. 'They finally offer clear archaeological confirmation of what many of us had long suspected: that Neanderthals not only valued within-bone lipids but developed specific strategies to extract and process them,' said Slimak, who is the author of the 'The Last Neanderthal,' which will be published in English later this year. Discover your world Go beyond the headlines and explore the latest scientific achievements and fascinating discoveries. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. 'This aligns closely with the broader archaeological record, which shows Neanderthals as highly skilled big-game hunters with a refined sense of ecological adaptation,' he added. The Neumark-Nord site is 'the best example yet of bone-grease rendering,' from this period of the Stone Age, said Bruce Hardy, the J. Kenneth Smail Professor of Anthropology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Hardy also was not involved in the research. 'The combination of evidence presented here at Neumark-Nord is impressive,' Hardy said. 'It may well represent the smoldering gun, or simmering bone broth, of Neanderthal bone-grease rendering.'
