The Cueva Des-Cubierta cave, which was first discovered in 1978 and has been the subject of many studies since then, is a multi-layered cave. This means that there are many new things to explore at different layers.
The cave attracts the attention of scientists because research has revealed that the cave was used by Neanderthals for rituals. This shows that a wealth of information can be uncovered about the social lives, beliefs and rituals of Neanderthals.
The skulls found in the third layer of the cave provide important information about what the animals were used for.
In the past, they also found various tools and bone remains that may have belonged to children in the cave.
The latest article published in the journal Nature Human Behavior points to different findings. According to what is described in the article, the skulls found were carefully separated from the corpses of animals and carefully processed with fire and various tools.
It is thought that these skulls were not brought to the cave for food, where the skulls of animals such as rhinoceros and deer, as well as extinct animals such as bison and aurochs, are found today.
The reason is that almost all of the skulls are thought to have been transported to the cave after being processed outside the cave. According to the information in the research, some ‘nutritive’ parts of the skulls, such as the eyes, are already in the parts that are processed and disintegrated outside the cave.
The use of the cave for rituals and the fact that there are some signs such as being burned with fire on the skulls indicate that these skulls may have been used for some rituals.
The research team emphasizes that ritual use of animals was seen as a common behavior among Neanderthals.
Another implication is the possibility that the skulls were moved to the cave as post-hunt loot. However, the research team feels that this option cannot be accepted without further research.
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