Neanderthals Crafted Jewelry Out of Eagle Talons, Researchers Found

Although many consider the Neanderthals as being ignorant and savage, recent studies suggest that they had a sense of style.

The researchers discovered that the prehistoric human ancestors, before they disappeared mysteriously from the face of the Earth, enjoyed crafting jewelry made of eagle talons and wear them on their bodies.
The recent study was published in the journal PLOS one and it details how a team of researchers have found eight claws that date back 130,000 years ago.

The experts believe that claws are from ancient white-tailed eagles and were found in a Croatian cave, that may have been used by Neanderthals as their “camp”.

Four of the claws had distinct cut marks and notches that suggest the talons were stuck together somehow as part of a bracelet or necklace.

David Frayer, one of the anthropologists involved in the study and a scientist at the University of Kansas, said that he was absolutely stunned by the discovery. Frayer explained that this confirms what many doubted, which is the fact that Neanderthals were much more intelligent than previously believed.

Frayer stated that Neanderthals are often thought as being simple minded being that knew only to mumble, bumble and stumble.

But the truth is, the more the scientists find out about them, the more sophisticated they seem to have been.

In the past year, there have been several discoveries which suggest that these human ancestors were actually smarter than previously thought. According to researchers, the Neanderthals cooperated with other early species of humans, they were skilled hunters, catching their prey using hunting traps, they made their own tools out of animal bones and were talented “artists”.

The explorers found at one particular archaeological site more than 900 Neanderthal bones that are more than 130,000 years old.

They also unearthed primitive stone tools, bear and rhino bones and even the remains of a fire pit.
The site has not been touched by humans until it has been excavated for the first time, more than 100 years ago.

This means that the talon jewelry had been crafted by the Neanderthals. Some of the claws seem to have been polished, which indicates that the Neanderthals were intelligent enough to pay attention to details.
Image Source: ibtimes