Neanderthals engaged in complex woodworking far beyond simply burning fuel, crafting everything from thrusting spears and domestic containers to structural elements and an unusual club, according to a comprehensive study published in Science Advances.
Abric Romaní Preserves 62,000 Years of Wooden Artifacts
Researchers cataloged 597 wooden remains and imprints spanning 16 archaeological levels at Abric Romaní, a rock shelter in Capellades near Barcelona. The collection dates from roughly between 62,000 and 42,000 years ago, representing the first full analysis of wood recovered during more than four decades of digging at the site. Systematic excavations at the travertine cliffside location began in 1983 under Eudald Carbonell, and the current work is directed by Palmira Saladié, M. Gema Chacón, and Josep Vallverdú of IPHES-CERCA and Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
Travertine Mineralization Protects Paleolithic Wood
Organic wood normally decays completely over millennia, leaving a massive gap in the archaeological record of ancient human technology. Minerals in local water coated decaying pieces with calcium carbonate as the wood rotted without oxygen, creating precise natural molds in the porous travertine rock. These fossil-like hollows retained intricate details, with some specimens accurate enough to display the internal tissue structure of the original Scots pine and other botanical materials.
Thirteen Shaped Objects Reveal Technological Versatility
Out of nearly 600 total wooden items, researchers identified 13 pieces bearing clear signs of deliberate human shaping, including weapons, tools, and domestic gear. Level R produced two wooden spears, featuring a 2.45-meter thrusting spear for close-range combat alongside a 1.99-meter weapon with a distinct pointed tip. Level P yielded an unusual object carved from a single piece of wood with a narrow handle and a thick, bumpy, pointed head resembling a mace. Its 6-inch handle is separated from the head by an abrupt step designed to prevent a hand from slipping, with only one comparable Paleolithic wooden club known worldwide from a site in Zambia.
Structural Remains and Daily Domestic Life
The assemblage extends far beyond hunting gear into domestic organization and architecture. Excavators recovered charred bark trays that likely served as containers for carrying food or scooping up fireplace embers, alongside crossed poles that may have formed a raised platform for food preparation. Researchers also documented a straight 5.10-meter wooden piece that functioned either as a structural building component or a modification to the living space. These shaped items share stratigraphic space with hearths, stone tools, and animal bones, demonstrating that wood was a steady, integrated resource throughout repeated Neanderthal visits to the shelter.
Calcium Carbonate Preserved Neanderthal Wooden Tool Molds
How did wooden items survive for tens of thousands of years at Abric Romaní?
Porous travertine rock formed from mineral-rich water that coated the decaying wood in calcium carbonate. When the organic material rotted away completely, it left behind precise hollow molds in the stone.
How many wooden artifacts showed deliberate human shaping?
Out of 597 total wooden remains and imprints cataloged across 16 archaeological levels, researchers identified 13 specific items shaped into weapons, tools, and structural components.
What tree species did Neanderthals primarily use for these tools?
Most of the shaped pieces were crafted from Scots pine, which provided a sturdy yet easily workable raw material that allowed ancient craftspeople to quickly fashion and replace items.