Neanderthals ran 'fat factories' 125,000 years ago
Neanderthals operated a 'fat factory' 125,000 years ago at the Neumark-Nord 2 site in Germany, where they systematically processed large mammal bones to extract calorie-rich bone grease. This labor-intensive practice, previously thought to be limited to later human groups, indicates advanced resource management and dietary planning. The findings are based on extensive excavations revealing a diverse range of Neanderthal activities in a well-preserved ancient landscape.
- ▪Neanderthals at Neumark-Nord 2 crushed bones from at least 172 large mammals to render fat through heating in water.
- ▪The site, dating to 125,000 years ago, shows evidence of strategic food processing, including hunting, butchering, and fat extraction in designated areas.
- ▪This discovery pushes back the timeline for complex Neanderthal resource management by tens of thousands of years.
- ▪Researchers from MONREPOS, Leiden University, and the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt led the study.
- ▪Neanderthals also hunted straight-tusked elephants and used fire to manage vegetation, indicating sophisticated ecological engagement.
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Neanderthals ran ‘fat factories’ 125,000 years ago 02 July 2025 Fat is a very valuable food component, packed with calories, especially important when other resources might be scarce. Our earliest ancestors in Africa already cracked open bones to extract the fatty marrow from bone cavities. But now a new study published in Science Advances demonstrates that our distant cousins, the Neanderthals, pushed fat extraction from bones quite a bit further. From complete bones to tiny fragments. Photo: Kindler, LEIZA-Monrepos Neanderthal food strategies The evidence comes from the Neumark-Nord 2 site in central Germany, dating back 125,000 years to an interglacial period when temperatures were similar to those of today. The site was situated in a lake landscape.
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