Археологичид Португалын баруун өмнөд эрэг дэх эртний манхан газраас 80,000 орчим жилийн настай неандерталчуудын мөрийг олж илрүүлсэн байна.
Португалын Монте Клериго болон Телхейро эргээс олдсон эдгээр мөр нь тухайн үеийн неандерталчуудын өдөр тутмын амьдрал, бүлгээрээ хэрхэн нүүдэллэж байсныг харуулж байна. Монте Клеригогийн эртний манхны налуугаас 78,000 жилийн тэмдэгтэй 26 мөр бүхий таван зам илэрсэн бөгөөд тэдгээрийн дунд нэг нас хүрээгүй хүүхдийн мөр хүртэл байгаа нь судалгааны онцлох олдвор болжээ. Лиссабоны их сургуулийн доктор Карлос Нето де Карвальогийн тайлбарласнаар, мөрүүдийн хэмжээ болон байршил нь тухайн бүлгийн бүтэц, насны ангилал, үүрэг даалгаврын хуваарилалтыг таамаглах боломжийг олгодог байна.
Scientific Reports сэтгүүлд нийтлэгдсэн судалгаагаар, эдгээр мөр нь неандерталчууд тухайн орчны онцлогт тохируулан хөдөлгөөнөө зохицуулж, санамсаргүй байдлаар бус тодорхой чиглэлтэй нүүдэллэдэг байсныг баталж байна. Мөн тухайн бүсээс олдсон бугын мөр нь неандерталчуудын мөрүүдтэй давхцаж байгаа нь тэднийг ан агнуурын зорилгоор буюу олзоо мөрдөж явсан байж болзошгүйг харуулж байгаа ажээ.
Энэхүү олдвор нь неандерталчууд зөвхөн ан агнуураар бус, эрэг орчмын бүс нутгийн биологийн олон янз байдлыг ашиглан амьдардаг байсныг нотолж байна. Чулуун зэвсэг болон амьтны яс зэрэг уламжлалт олдворуудаас ялгаатай нь мөрүүд нь эртний хүмүүсийн байгаль орчинтойгоо хэрхэн харилцаж байсныг бодит агшинаар нь харуулж буй чухал баримт юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Archaeologists have found Neanderthal footprints dating back around 80,000 years on Portugal’s southwestern coast. The tracks show adults, children and possibly hunting groups crossing ancient coastal dunes thousands of years ago.
The footprints were discovered at Praia do Monte Clérigo and Praia do Telheiro, two sites that preserve traces of Neanderthal activity in a landscape once shaped by dunes, forests and coastal habitats. Unlike tools or animal bones, footprints capture a brief moment of movement, showing where people actually walked.
The discovery gives researchers a closer look at the daily lives of Neanderthals in western Europe. It reveals details that are difficult to recover from other archaeological evidence, including the presence of children and the way groups used the landscape around them.
According to Dr. Carlos Neto de Carvalho from the Geology Office of the Municipality of Idanha-a-Nova and the University of Lisbon, footprints can record moments such as a group moving together, a chase or simply the presence of individuals in a specific place.
Neanderthal Footprints Found on Portugal’s Ancient Coast
At Monte Clérigo, researchers found five trackways containing 26 footprints left about 78,000 years ago on the slope of an ancient coastal dune. The tracks belonged to several individuals, including adults and children.
The footprints were especially valuable because they revealed the presence of very young individuals. Researchers identified the tracks of a child just over one year old based on their smaller size.
“Through the number, size and arrangement of the footprints, it is possible to infer the minimum number of individuals present, their age range (children, adolescents, adults) or the possible division of tasks (e.g. a hunting party),”as explained by the scientists.
The tracks also show that Neanderthals adjusted the way they moved depending on the terrain. Walking across a steep dune required adapting to the landscape, and the paths suggest that these groups were following specific routes rather than moving randomly.
Neanderthal Tracks Point to Possible Hunting
The Portuguese tracks also provide clues about how Neanderthals interacted with animals in their surroundings. One of the most interesting discoveries is the relationship between human footprints and deer tracks found in the same area.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, found that the overlapping tracks suggest that a human and a deer crossed the dune environment at the same time. Researchers believe this may be linked to hunting behavior, with Neanderthals possibly tracking or approaching prey.
As stated by the research team, footprints can reveal possible group activities, including movements connected to hunting parties. The location of the tracks suggests that dunes may have offered useful areas for observing animals and planning approaches.
The study also highlights how Neanderthals explored different types of environments, including coastal zones, forests, dunes and riverbanks. These movements are difficult to understand through artefacts alone because tools do not show how people traveled through the landscape. The footprints preserve a direct connection between ancient humans and the places they used thousands of years ago.
Coastal Resources Helped Neanderthals Adapt
The discoveries also add information about the diet of Neanderthals living in this part of Portugal. Archaeological evidence from the region shows that their diet relied mainly on deer, horses and hares, while also including resources collected from nearby coastal habitats.
“The consistent presence of these mammal species highlights their role as reliable food sources, irrespective of the varying environments inhabited by Neanderthals,” the authors said. “In addition, the Neanderthal diet also incorporated animals from neighboring littoral habitats, indicating a broad foraging strategy that capitalized on local biodiversity.”
Beyond dietary evidence, the footprints found at Praia do Telheiro reveal another aspect of Neanderthal presence along the Portuguese coast. Researchers identified a single footprint dating back around 82,000 years, likely left by a teenager or adult female. The track was preserved alongside bird footprints typical of coastal and rocky environments, showing that Neanderthals were moving through these shoreline landscapes.
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