Neanderthals' Clever Fat Extraction Trick

Near a lake in present-day Germany, a group of Neanderthals set up a clever system to extract fat from animal bones. They smashed bones with stone tools and boiled them to get the fat. This was not a one-time endeavor. It happened over 300 years.

Avoiding Protein Poisoning

Neanderthals were not dumb. They planned ahead. They hunted animals, stored the meat, and processed the bones in a special area. They chose the longest bones, which had the most marrow.

Sophisticated Processing Techniques

They likely used containers made of birch bark or animal skins. These were hung over a fire to boil the bones. The Neanderthals were smart. They knew the value of fat in their diet.

Enhancing Nutrition

They added plants like hazelnuts, acorns, and sloe plums to their fat broth. This made the broth tastier and more nutritious.

Master Planners

This discovery shows that Neanderthals were not simple hunter-gatherers. They were master planners. They could organize complex tasks and look ahead to make the most of their environment.

A Refined Sense of Ecological Adaptation

The site in Germany is the best example of bone-grease rendering from this time. It shows that Neanderthals had a refined sense of ecological adaptation. They were highly skilled big-game hunters.

A Confirmation of Intelligence

This discovery is exciting. It confirms what many had suspected. Neanderthals valued the fat inside bones. They developed specific strategies to extract and process it.