Neanderthals ran ‘fat factory’ 125,000 years ago, study finds

Neanderthals living 125,000 years ago in what is now modern Germany may have extracted and eaten fats from animal bones thanks to an organized food preparation process that scientists describe as a “fat factory”.

By searching the site of an old lake landscape called Neumark-Nord, archaeologists have discovered thousands of bones of at least 172 large mammals, as well as flint artifacts. The bones, which date back to an interglacial period during which the Neanderthals lived, came from animals such as red deer and horses, according to a study published on July 2 in scientific advances.

While many bones which contained less bone marrow were distributed on the archaeological site, the researchers observed that many bones rich in marrow were located in clusters – sites they call “large factories”.

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A photo taken on September 6, 2021 shows the reconstruction of the face of the oldest Neanderthal found in the Netherlands, nicknamed Krijn, exhibited at the National Museum of Antiquities of Leiden. (Bart Maat / ANP / AFP via Getty Images)

The researchers believe that our extinguished ancestors used tools to break the bones in small fragments, then boil them for hours. The fat, which then floated on the surface of the water, could be skimmed from the top and ate – offering a source of caloric food for the archaic people.

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Before that, proofs of practice did not return 28,000 years ago, according to research.

File photo: A red red deer is illustrated here. The bones, which date back to an interglacial period when the Neanderthals lived from animals like red deer and horses. (Getty Images)

“Neanderthals clearly managed the resources precisely – plan hunts, transport carcasses and make fats in a field specific area,” said Dr. Lutz Kindler, the first author of the study. “They understood both the nutritional value of fats and how to access it effectively – most likely involving parts of carcass of cache in landscape places for subsequent transport to and use on the fat rendering site.

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Fat was a “survival” resource for Neanderthals, especially during winter and spring seasons when carbohydrates were rare. Their diet was largely in animal protein and the consumption of many proteins without other nutrients could lead to a sometimes fatal condition called protein poisoning, noted research.

File photo: The tools used in an archaeological excavation are seen here. (Getty Images)

“The extraordinary size and preservation of the Neumark-Nord sites complex give us a unique chance to study how Neanderthals have affected their environment, both animal and vegetable life,” said Dr Fulco Scherjon, data director and computer scientist on the project. “It is incredibly rare for such an old site – and this opens up new exciting possibilities for future research.”

In recent years, scientists have also discovered that Neanderthals were going to dive for the shells they could climb with stone hammers in thin and net cutting edges. Likewise, another study suggested that Neanderthals may have buried their dead with flowers.

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Researchers Lutz Kindler and Wil Roebroeks did not immediately respond to the request for comments from Fox News Digital.