Neanderthals May Have Crafted Implements for Drawing - Archaeology Magazine

Neanderthals May Have Invented the Original Crayon

In another blow to the image of Neanderthal as brutish troglodyte, we’ve identified the tools the ancient hominin used to draw and decorate. Chunks of hardened clay and sand pigmented an earthy red by iron oxide may have served as Neanderthal’s original crayon. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Researchers analyzed 70,000-year-old bits of ochre, a natural clay earth pigment, and noticed that some of the artifact…

Neanderthals May Have Crafted Implements for Drawing - Archaeology Magazine

Modified ocher fragment NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE, FRANCE—Neanderthals may have fashioned ocher tools for drawing and marking surfaces, according to a Phys.org report. Francesco d’Errico of the University of Bordeaux and his colleagues analyzed the composition and surface markings on 16 pieces of ocher unearthed at Neanderthal sites in Crimea and Ukraine with scanning electron microscopes and portable X-ray scanners. The study determined that one of th…

Neanderthals May Have Created Ochre Tools for Drawing, New Study Finds

A recent analysis of ochre fragments from several Neanderthal sites indicated that Neanderthals used ochre for drawing and marking surfaces. It has been long-believed that Neanderthals used the iron-rich pigment to adorn their bodies, clothing, and surfaces. Many ancient civilizations, for example, used ochre to preserve animal hides and tan clothing. However, there has not been much definitive evidence around other uses of ochre by Neandertha…

Prehistoric "Pencils" Overturns Everything We Thought We Knew About Neanderthals—And Scientists Are Stunned

Recent archaeological discoveries suggest that Neanderthals, long seen as lacking symbolic culture, may have crafted and used ochre crayons as early as 130,000 years ago. According to a new study published in Science Advances, these fragments—some dating back 130,000 years—were intentionally shaped and repeatedly used by Neanderthals in ways that suggest symbolic behavior, possibly for drawing or marking. The research, led by an international te…