At 1,450 metres altitude in the Lombard Alps, Caverna Generosa holds a 60,000-year-old secret: NeanderthalsNeanderthalsA fossil humanity of Eurasia, robust and cold-adapted, extinct around 40,000 years before present.→ not only sheltered there, but brought with them carefully prepared lithic tools made at lower altitude. A new study published in the Journal of Quaternary Science reveals that these high-mountain travellers practised remarkably sophisticated forward planning of their toolkit, challenging the still-persistent image of a "primitive," poorly adaptable Neanderthal.1

A Cave at 1,450 Metres

Caverna Generosa, located in the Lombard Pre-Alps between Como and Lecco, has long been known as a cave frequented by cave bears (Ursus spelaeus). Recent excavations revealed sixteen flintFlintA hard, brittle siliceous rock, knapped by prehistoric people to produce blades, points and sharp tools.→ tools among the bear bones, along with charcoal enabling the occupation to be dated to around 60,000 years ago, in the Middle PalaeolithicMiddle PalaeolithicA Palaeolithic period (c. 300,000 to 40,000 years ago) associated mainly with Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, marked by Levallois tools.→. The mineralogical composition of the flint used identified the source of the raw materials: the rock came from outcrops several kilometres downhill, at altitudes of 300 to 400 metres.1

Mousterian flint tools, Middle Palaeolithic
MousterianMousterianThe stone-tool industry typical of Neanderthals, based on the Levallois flaking technique.→-type flint tools, the lithic culture characteristic of Neanderthals. The Caverna Generosa tools were of this type: made in the valley, carried to altitude, and resharpened multiple times. (Credit: Fæ, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)

High-resolution microscope analysis of each tool's edges revealed repeated retouch marks, evidence of regular resharpening during use. Even more significantly, no knappingknappingThe set of operations for fracturing a stone block to extract flakes or blades.→ debitage was found in the cave, ruling out any on-site manufacture. The Neanderthals therefore made their tools in the valley, carried them up the mountain, and regularly maintained them throughout the stay, in a logic of forward-looking management of lithic resources.

Accomplished Planners

This discovery adds to a growing body of studies showing that Neanderthals were sophisticated resource planners. The idea of a day-to-day Neanderthal, incapable of anticipating future needs, is now widely discredited. Previous studies have shown that they collected raw materials from distances of up to 300 kilometres, made composite adhesives to haft their tools, and built structures from bones in caves.2

Olduvai Gorge, East Africa, prehistoric site
The landscapes of East AfricaAfricaThe cradle of humankind: the continent where the first hominins appeared, then Homo sapiens around 300,000 years ago, before the expansion to the rest of the world.→ witnessed the earliest homininHomininMember of the subtribe Hominina, comprising the human lineage (Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus…) but excluding orangutans and gibbons. The term progressively replaces "hominid" in its narrow sense.→ migrationsMigrationsLong-distance movements of populations; a major driver of human history (the exit from Africa, the peopling of continents, Neolithic and steppe expansions).→. Long-distance mobility and forward planning of lithic resources were not Homo sapiensHomo sapiensThe present-day human species, which emerged in Africa around 300,000 years ago, the only surviving human lineage after the extinction of Neanderthals and Denisovans.→ innovations: Neanderthals practised them too. (Credit: Noel Feans, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)

The Caverna Generosa study adds a new dimension to this picture: high mountain terrain, long considered a marginal zone for Neanderthals, was in reality integrated into their territory and seasonal movements. The authors suggest these alpine expeditions served various purposes: access to game (ibex, deer), raw material prospecting, or exploitation of the bear cave for hides and fat during winter.3

Towards a Revised Image of Neanderthals

Beyond Caverna Generosa, dozens of sites are progressively completing the portrait of Neanderthals as fully competent humans, adapted to varied environments, capable of planned movement and long-term resource management. The cognitive boundary erected between Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens is gradually dissolving under the weight of archaeological evidence. If the two species coexisted and even had children together, it may also be because they did not perceive themselves as fundamentally different.