Neanderthals' Hidden Artistry: The Story of Ochre in Crimea

Neanderthals in Crimea might have been more creative than we thought. They used ochre, a type of red rock, in ways that go beyond just practical use. This isn't just about painting caves. It's about how they shaped and used ochre to express themselves. Researchers studied 16 pieces of ochre from different sites in Crimea and Ukraine. These pieces are really old, up to 70, 000 years old! They used special tools to look at these ochre pieces closely. They found that some pieces were ground, scored, flaked, and scraped on purpose. Three pieces stood out. One was shaped like a crayon and was sharpened many times. Another looked like a broken piece of a crayon. The third had engraved and polished surfaces. These aren't just random marks. They show that Neanderthals might have been making marks on purpose. But why? Maybe they used ochre for practical things like processing hides. But the special pieces suggest something more. They might have been using ochre to express themselves or communicate. This shows that Neanderthals were smart and creative. This discovery is important. It tells us that Neanderthals in different regions might have developed their own ways of using ochre. It also shows that we need to look at things from different angles to understand their behavior.