Neanderthal wooden tools from Spain found preserved in stone

The Neanderthal era was characterized by the use of numerous tools, with wood being the most commonly worked material due to its ease of processing. However, our understanding of Paleolithic woodwork is limited as wood decomposes rapidly. A recent study published in Science Advances has shed new light on Neanderthal woodwork. Researchers in Spain have discovered 597 Neanderthal wooden remains from living areas dating back 62,000 to 40,000 years.

The tools include spears, digging sticks, bark trays, shelter parts, and a unique club, suggesting Neanderthals had capabilities beyond mere hunting gear. The oldest known wooden artifacts are primarily weapons, such as those found in Schöningen, England, and Germany, all discovered in waterlogged sediments where the lack of oxygen slowed decay.