How to cook like a Neanderthal: Scientists recreate surprisingly precise recipes of our ancestors

Archaeologists have reconstructed Neanderthal butchering and cooking techniques, enhancing our understanding of the daily life, challenges and dietary practices of these ancient human ancestors.

While the big game hunting practices of the Neanderthals are well known, their consumption of birds isn’t well understood due to scarce archaeological traces.

In a new study, scientists used a flint tool to butcher two carrion crows, two collared doves and a wood pigeon, all of which the Neanderthals ate.

After defeathering the birds by hand, they selected butchering and cooking methods based on archaeological evidence.

A crow and a dove were butchered raw, using a flint flake, while the other three birds were roasted over hot coals until cooked, then butchered.

Scientists found that using a flint flake for butchering required “significant precision and effort” that hadn’t been fully understood before the study. It required “careful handling” to make precise cuts without injuring one’s own fingers, researchers say.

“These hands-on experiments emphasised the practical challenges involved in Neanderthal food processing and cooking, providing a tangible connection to their daily life and survival strategies,” Mariana Nabais, lead author of the study, said.

“Roasting the birds over the coals required maintaining a consistent temperature and carefully monitoring the cooking duration to avoid overcooking the meat.”

After butchering the birds, scientists examined them microscopically for cutmarks, breaks and burns. They could see what kinds of traces butchering using flint tools left on bones, and how those marks compared to damage caused by natural processes or the actions of other animals.

While the cuts to take meat from the raw birds did not leave bone marks, those aimed at tendons left marks similar to those on birds found at archaeological sites, scientists said.

The flint flake was also found to have small half-moon scars on the edge after use.

Bones from the roasted birds, on the other hand, were brittle and shattered when butchered using the flint tool.

Researchers found black stains inside some of the bird bones processed this way, suggesting the contents of the inner bone cavity were burned.

These findings could help archaeologists look for visible signs of Neanderthal food preparation in past records.

Since the study consisted of only five bird specimens, however, scientists called for further research with larger samples, varied species, and more diverse experimental conditions.