Neanderthals may have worn dark feathers, archaeologists say
A new analysis of bird bones at Neanderthal sites suggests our extinct human cousins adorned themselves with dark feathers plucked from vultures, jackdaws, eagles and other species.
The study is the latest to challenge the notion that symbolic behavior, like creating art and body decorations, was exclusive to modern humans.
A team of scientists led by researchers at the Gibraltar Museum examined 1,699 sites across Eurasia for evidence of birds and Neanderthals living side-by-side. There was a clear association between Neanderthal occupation and the remains of raptor and corvid species, the researchers reported Monday (Sept. 17) in the journal PLoS ONE.
I guess it doesn’t really surprise me if it turns out to be ‘true’.
