‘Pointy bone' found in Russia cave may be oldest of its kind in Europe. See it

Miami Herald

06-05-2025

World 'Pointy bone' found in Russia cave may be oldest of its kind in Europe. See it
Deep in the Caucasus Mountains in southwestern Russia, a Neanderthal cave revealed a unique tool.
Getty/iStock photo
Tens of thousands of years ago, an ancient people left their possessions in a cave in the Caucasus Mountains of modern-day Russia.
Centuries would pass before the site was found again — and a discovery would be made.
Mezmaiskaya Cave, an area of more than 5,000 square feet, has been excavated since 1987, and the lower layers of sediment date to more than 70,000 years ago, according to a study published April 14 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Archaeological Science.
Previous studies have identified Neanderthal remains from inside the cave, but in 2003, archaeologists made a more 'unique' find, according to the study.
In a layer of sediment from the Middle Paleolithic period, they uncovered a 'pointy bone' near a hearth built into a natural hollow in the stone, researchers said.
The 'unique pointy bone' was found in a Neanderthal cave in southwestern Russia. Golovanova, L. V., et al (2025)
Journal of Archaeological Science
The bone was near other artifacts like stone tools, flakes, limestone blocks and burnt bones, according to the study.
The preservation of bones in this cave environment is 'exceptional,' researchers said, and the oddly-shaped stick-like bone was no different.
Researchers called it a 'study piece of bone,' about 3.5 inches long and 0.2 inches wide, covered in cut and scratch marks, according to the study.
Further analysis of the bone indicates 'that the bone tool from Mezmaiskaya cave is made from a thick cortical bone (probably, long bone) of a large animal (probably, bison). Several human-made modifications, including flat swaying and scraping marks, and deep cut marks, shape very marginally the basal part of the tool, probably to make it more straight,' researchers said.
The tapered part of the bone had remnants of bitumen, and ancient resin, that suggests the pointed piece was attached to a shaft, likely wood at one end, according to the study.
There was also tap damage and microcracks on the pointed end of the bone, researchers said.
All together, the 'consistent evidence suggest(s) that the Mezmaiskaya specimen functioned as a bone tip of a hunting projectile weapon,' according to the study.
The tip was carved into a point, making it the oldest known bone tip in Europe. Golovanova, L. V., et al (2025)
Journal of Archaeological Science
The spear tip was between 70,000 and 80,000 years old, predating when Homo sapiens, or modern humans, arrived in Europe, according to the study.
This means just as Neanderthal bodies were found in the cave, they were also the likely craftsmen of the bone tip.
Human-made pointed bone tools have been found in other regions of the world, including Africa and Asia, and date from further back in human history, researchers said.
But because the bone tip was likely made by Neanderthals 'the results allow us to interpret this artifact as the oldest in Europe,' according to the study, and this kind of bone carving was likely in its infancy at the time.
Mezmaiskaya Cave is located near the northeastern coast of the Black Sea in southwestern Russia, south of Ukraine and north of Georgia.
The research team includes Liubov V. Golovanova, Vladimir B. Doronichev, Ekaterina V. Doronicheva, Galina N. Poplevko, Naomi E. Cleghorn, Alexander M. Kulkov, Nikolai N. Potrakhov, Viktor B. Bessonov and Nikolai E. Staroverov.
Irene Wright
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Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.