Science
110,000-Year-Old Discovery Shows Neanderthals and Early Humans Worked Together
Researchers found evidence that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens cooperated at a site dating back 110,000 years, pushing back the known timeline of contact between the two groups.
110,000 yearsAge of the site where Neanderthals and Homo sapiens are believed to have cooperated
The facts
- 1The discovery site is estimated to be 110,000 years old, making it the oldest known location where Neanderthals and Homo sapiens appear to have worked together.
- 2Scientists found stone tools and animal bones at the site that show mixed techniques — some linked to Neanderthals and some to early Homo sapiens.
- 3Neanderthals were a separate human species who lived across Europe and parts of Asia before disappearing around 40,000 years ago.
- 4Earlier research suggested the two species only met in the last 50,000 years, so this find moves that estimate back by at least 60,000 years.
- 5When two different hominin groups share a site and tools, scientists call this a 'contact zone' — a rare and important find in archaeology.
Why it matters
This discovery changes what scientists thought they knew about early human history. It suggests cooperation between different human species happened much earlier than believed, which could reshape how we understand the spread of skills and culture across ancient populations.
Sources
- Science Daily
- The Guardian
