They may not have been like ours, but tens of thousands of years ago, Neanderthals already had their own canteens. And one of the most interesting is the Prado Vargas cave, located in the north of the province of Burgos, in one of the largest karst systems in Europe. Archaeologists have discovered thousands and thousands of bones there that tell us, with the best historical records, how its inhabitants ate. Thanks to their work, they were able to learn what the Neanderthals hunted in the area, what parts of their prey they took back to their caves 46,000 years ago, and how they used them.

The result is fascinating: a thousand years ago, Neanderthals had a busy restaurant on the land of Burgos where they ate their catch.

A privileged areaThe strange Neanderthal “inn” is located in an area no less fascinating: the Prado Vargas cave in Merindad de Sotoscueva, in the north of the province of Burgos. The cavity is part of the Ojo Guareña, a protected natural monument with more than a hundred kilometers of cliffs, caves and galleries, standing out as one of the largest karst systems in Europe.

As well as being a fascinating setting for geologists, Prado Vargas is also a real mine for archaeologists studying Neanderthals. In fact. Since systematic excavations began, more than 15,000 artifacts have been unearthed, dating back 46,000 years. It is these artifacts that have helped them gain a more precise idea of ​​how the cave was used.

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What did they find? Essentially, they are the remains of feasts held by its inhabitants tens of thousands of years ago. Thanks to the bones found at Prado Vargas, archaeologists have concluded that Neanderthals inhabited the cave in spring, summer and autumn 46,000 years ago.

Their presence was also more or less stable. The researchers believe that Neanderthals inhabited the Ojo Guareña cave for “dozens of generations”, the University of Burgos said, noting that the researchers published a paper with their findings in 2023. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

A diverse ecosystemAmong other things, the study of thousands of bones found in the cave allowed researchers to determine what animals coexisted with Neanderthals at Ojo Guareña. The list is extensive: from herbivores such as deer, fallow deer, horses, ibex, bison and chamois to large carnivores such as wolves, lions, foxes and badgers. In addition to the bones, the remains of wild boars and cave bears were also found in the cave.

The wonderful Burgos dining room. To mere mortals, the bones found at Prado Vargas are fragments of animals hunted thousands of years ago. But to archaeologists, they are windows into the past, as rich in information as the best cave paintings. Using the techniques of taphonomy and zooarchaeology, disciplines dedicated to unraveling the history of bones, the experts concluded that after hunting, Neanderthals took the parts of their prey that interested them most back to the cave.

Not only that. Cut and bite marks revealed that when the Neanderthals had finished their feast and left the cave, wolves, foxes and bears snuck in to take advantage of the remains. “This study shows that competition between Neanderthals and other carnivores at Prado Vargas was relatively low, because carnivores’ access to the burrows occurred when the cave was not occupied by humans,” UB said.

Menus rich in meat and marrow. Archaeologists also managed to answer one of the most disturbing questions about the Prado Vargas “restaurant”: What was on the “menu”? What did its inhabitants eat?

After concluding that Neanderthals were the first to accumulate animal remains at Prado Vargas, the researchers overlooked another interesting fact: they hunted mostly adult species such as deer, ibex, chamois, horses and, to a lesser extent, bison and wild boar. They took to the cave the parts that interested them most, such as limbs, which were valued for their nutritional contribution, the abundance of meat and the possibility of benefiting from the marrow hidden inside the bones.

Experts emphasize that the inhabitants of Prado Vargas took advantage of the bone marrow, where they discovered an accessible source of fat. If scientists have obtained all this information, it is thanks to the bone remains excavated from the ground, among which there are numerous femurs, fibulas, radii and metapods, as well as signs of cuts and blows.

Did they find anything else? Yes, the article was published. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, The study, led by researcher Héctor de la Fuente from the University of Burgos, states that Neanderthals “systematically” exploited all the animal remains they took to the cave.

This included exploiting their flesh and marrow, but also their skin and tendons to make ropes and clothing, or bone fragments to perfect stone tools. Nothing was lost. The researchers also found “a large number of charred fragments,” suggesting that Neanderthals controlled fire, perhaps even using bones to light bonfires.

Images | University of Burgos and Allan Henderson (Flickr)

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