Last Neanderthals Were Smart, Sophisticated

June 23, 2008 -- Neanderthals were hardly a weak group just before their extinction around 30,000 years ago, suggests new research. On the contrary, Britain's last Neanderthals had sophisticated weapons and lived in strategic spots, demonstrating impressive command of their territory.

Archaeologists analyzing 180 flint tools and weapons, which survived an original collection of 2,300 artifacts found in 1900 at a site called Beedings near Pulborough, England, have traced them to the Neanderthals, according to an announcement made today by the University College London Institute of Archeology.

The discoveries were also recently reported in British Archeology magazine.

"The tools we've found at the site are technologically advanced and potentially older than tools in Britain belonging to our own species," said UCL's Matthew Pope.

"It's exciting to think that there's a real possibility these were left by some of the last Neanderthal hunting groups to occupy northern Europe," he added. "The impression they give is of a population in complete command of both landscape and natural raw materials with a flourishing technology -- not a people on the edge of extinction."

Pope is leading the recent excavations after Roger Jacobi of the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain Project first linked the tools to others discovered in northern Europe, which dated to between 35,000 and 42,000 years ago. The Beedings collection, however, is more diverse and extensive than any others from the region.

Pope said many of the Beedings tools and weapons "were made with long, straight blades --blades which were turned into a variety of bone and hide processing implements, as well as lethal spear points" that could kill unsuspecting prey in an instant.