A new study published July 6 in the journal PNAS reports that archaeological evidence from Üçağızlı II Cave on Turkey's Mediterranean coast indicates Neanderthals and modern humans exhibited similar cultural behaviors.

Archaeologists uncovered traces in the cave showing the daily lives of both groups were similar. Researchers analyzed the internal structure of fossilized teeth found in the cave to distinguish between Neanderthal and Homo sapiens remains. The sediment at the site was dated using optically stimulated luminescence.

Neanderthals occupied Üçağızlı II Cave between approximately 77,000 and 59,000 years ago. Homo sapiens occupied the cave between approximately 59,000 and 47,000 years ago. Both groups obtained raw materials, such as flint, from the same local sources. They also hunted wild goats, fallow deer, roe deer, and wild boar.

Archaeologists found 29 shells of the marine snail Columbella rustica in the cave layers. Some of these shells were pierced, suggesting they were intended for stringing. Additionally, one shell from the Neanderthal occupation period showed signs of deliberate heating, which altered its color.

Naoki Morimoto, a paleoanthropologist at Kyoto University, said, "Our findings indicate a deep level of cultural interaction." He added, "These two distinct but closely related human groups were not just adapting to the same environment: they were probably sharing symbolic preferences."

April Nowell, a Paleolithic archaeologist at the University of Victoria in Canada who was not involved in the study, said sites like Üçağızlı II are changing understandings of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Nowell said, "By demonstrating cultural continuity and elevated levels of interaction, sites such as Tinshemet and Üçağızlı II are changing what we thought we knew about Neandertals, Homo sapiens and other contemporary Homo groups … a fascinating region just got even more so!" Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago.

Why It Matters

This study provides evidence of shared cultural practices and resource utilization between Neanderthals and modern humans in the same geographical area over an extended period. The findings contribute to the understanding of interactions between these ancient human groups, suggesting a more complex relationship than previously understood, including cultural exchange and shared symbolic behaviors, such as shell ornamentation.