Evidence for Neandertal jewelry: modified white-tailed eagle claws at Krapina

PloS One
Davorka RadovčićDavid W Frayer

Abstract

We describe eight, mostly complete white-tailed eagle (Haliaëtus [Haliaeetus] albicilla) talons from the Krapina Neandertal site in present-day Croatia, dating to approximately 130 kyrs ago. Four talons bear multiple, edge-smoothed cut marks; eight show polishing facets and/or abrasion. Three of the largest talons have small notches at roughly the same place along the plantar surface, interrupting the proximal margin of the talon blade. These features suggest they were part of a jewelry assemblage, --- the manipulations a consequence of mounting the talons in a necklace or bracelet. An associated phalanx articulates with one of the talons and has numerous cut marks, some of which are smoothed. These white-tailed eagle bones, discovered more than 100 years ago, all derive from a single level at Krapina and represent more talons than found in the entire European Mousterian period. Presence of eight talons indicates that the Krapina Neandertals acquired and curated eagle talons for some kind of symbolic purpose. Some have argued that Neandertals lacked symbolic ability or copied this behavior from modern humans. These remains clearly show that the Krapina Neandertals made jewelry well before the appearance of modern humans in Euro...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 9, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Wil Roebroeks, Marie Soressi
Jan 20, 2017·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Maria Giovanna Belcastro, Valentina Mariotti
Jul 3, 2016·Psychonomic Bulletin & Review·Ian Tattersall
Feb 6, 2017·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Ian Tattersall
Jul 26, 2017·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Francesco d'ErricoMaría Fernanda Sánchez Goñi
May 10, 2018·PloS One·Paola VillaLaura Panzeri
Sep 13, 2020·Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science·Michael Breyl
Apr 15, 2020·Scientific Reports·Davorka RadovčićDavid W Frayer
Oct 23, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Marcel J L Th NiekusGerrit L Dusseldorp
Nov 16, 2016·Scientifica·Gerhard P Shipley, Kelly Kindscher
Feb 7, 2021·Evolutionary Anthropology·Marc Kissel, AgustÍn Fuentes
Mar 3, 2021·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Mercedes Conde-ValverdeJuan Luis Arsuaga
Mar 20, 2021·Archives of Sexual Behavior·Jaroslava Varella ValentovaMarco Antonio Correa Varella
Apr 22, 2021·Molecular Psychiatry·I ZwirC R Cloninger
Jul 7, 2021·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Dirk LederThomas Terberger
Jul 7, 2021·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Silvia M Bello

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