In the cave of Bruniquel, when taking measures for archaeo-magnetic study. – Michel Soulier / SSAC
    • 26/05/2016 at 21:44
    • updated

long considered a sub-version of Homo sapiens, Neanderthal Man is back galloon as scientific discoveries, losing lingered label some had him a little top quickly pasted on the back.

recent analyzes in the cave of Bruniquel in the Tarn-et-Garonne, show that our old cousin was more than just a country bumpkin, just good to drive.

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    The Neanderthal Man, this Indiana Jones misunderstood

     


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No fear. Long before Homo sapiens, descended 30,000 years ago in the depths of the Ardèche cave of Chauvet, the Neanderthal Man has ventured underground. It was 176,500 years ago in a cave overlooking today the Aveyron valley. And he was not content to put one foot in the cold and dark place before turning on his heel.

At 336 meters from the current input, a cavity was discovered in February 1990 by members of the Society of cave-archaeological Caussade. They will quickly realize that the arrangement of stalagmites is not really natural, but due to human intervention

3D restitution structures cave of Bruniquel
Restitution 3D structures of the cave Bruniquel – Xavier Muth – Archéovision

A first carbon-14 dating will think that it dates from at least 47,600 years. But more recent analyzes have extended the period to 176,500 years. A surprise to the researchers, because at that time, Homo sapiens has not put a single toe on European soil. By cons, good old Neanderthal was the obvious choice.



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    The Neanderthal Man, this builder

     


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Well, we are still far from Roman aqueducts. But for a Neanderthal, that’s not bad at all. The six “structures” found in the Cave of Bruniquel show that those who frequented there for thousands of years have been busy. And have contributed their powerful and stocky body.

“They moved 400 pieces of stalagmites, they have the pieces, sized, arranged. This represents nearly 2.2 tons of material. This is a very thoughtful act, “says Jacques Jaubert, Prehistory professor at Bordeaux University, co-author of the article published in the magazine Nature on the discovery.

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    The Neanderthal Man, this sociable

     


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And to get there, they communicated with each other, exchanged, perhaps even one of them giving orders to others. And yes, the Neanderthals were not as growling, they could also talk and were as well equipped to why our dear ancestors.

“There are 170,000 years, there were two humanities, with the same technical and cognitive level, the same state of technology acquisition, “argues Jacques Jaubert. The same mastery of fire also, used to Bruniquel to illuminate dark walls. We also found 18 traces of fire, including charred animal bones.

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    The Neanderthals, or mystical technique?


     

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The question is why they decided to bury there. “I do not think tonight refuge habitat. Elimination and overlap with other underground environments, we went there to look for material, such as clay, or to bury the dead, “says Jacques Jaubert.

And these structures served what? At a rite, a cult? “It was maybe a technique to conserve water, present on site” asks the specialist in Prehistory. Future analyzes will pierce Perhaps this new mystery

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