Bolomar cave; 350,000 to 100,000 BCE Neanderthal occupation

Bolomor Cave is a rockshelter located on the coast of Spain in Valencia. It is located about 100 meters above sea level, in the Valldigna valley. In have been found the living site of Neanderthals.

The site contains important Lower and Middle Paleolithic (350,000-100,000 years) human occupations in cave deposits up to a maximum thickness of 14 meters (46 feet), including evidence of some of the earliest hearths in Europe; and some of the earliest evidence of small-animal consumption as well

Its earliest use is dated back to by amino acid racemization (AAR) to ~525,000 +/- 125,000)

Excavations at Bolomor have identified seventeen stratigraphic levels, dated from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9 (~334,000 years ago) to 5e (~115,000 years ago). MIS are a relative dating tool created by paleoclimatologists to correspond with broad climatic changes over time, describing the relative warm or cool periods during the Pleistocene.

Our ancestors seemed to have had a wide table for food stuffs

The occupants processed a wide range of animals, including everything from rabbits, tortoise and birds to deer, horses and pigs to hippopotamus and rhinoceros. Although there are scavenger carnivores within the animal bones recovered (wolf, hyena), evidenced by gnaw-marks, and evidence of trampling, many of the remains show deliberate cutmarks and burning, suggested they were processed and cooked by the cave's occupants.

The inhabitants were also probably using snares, traps and perhaps birdlime; as they left behind large amounts of bones of birds and other small agile prey

Eatin' middle paleolithic wings

okay this is a really looong time ago
these folks seem pretty organized and apparently they liked food,and had plenty of it !

so much for the soul crushing life of 'cave men'

great post

Originally posted by MrsBlonde
okay this is a really looong time ago
these folks seem pretty organized and apparently they liked food,and had plenty of it !

so much for the soul crushing life of 'cave men'

great post

I've noted that lots of people (not picking on you MrsBlonde) seem to repeat the meme that cave men lead bad lives ..... I wonder where that comes from; modern popular culture or a hanger on from the 19th century?

They probably led lives similar to that of present day (well early 20th century) hunter-gathers which weren't to bad at all.

Originally posted by Hanslune

Originally posted by MrsBlonde
okay this is a really looong time ago
these folks seem pretty organized and apparently they liked food,and had plenty of it !

so much for the soul crushing life of 'cave men'

great post

I've noted that lots of people (not picking on you MrsBlonde) seem to repeat the meme that cave men lead bad lives ..... I wonder where that comes from; modern popular culture or a hanger on from the 19th century?

They probably led lives similar to that of present day (well early 20th century) hunter-gathers which weren't to bad at all.

oh I know, I've noted that too ,I actually know for a fact that ancient life was not as portrayed in the many illustrations and artists renderings we see in NGeo