20 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

45,000 years ago, Neanderthals in the Swabian Jura used complex tool-making techniques

Findings that will change our perception of Neanderthals’ sophistication

A team from the University of Tübingen have proved that Middle Paleolithic people in the Swabian Jura employed experience, planning, and skill when manufacturing stone tools.

It’s still impossible to say how smart the Neanderthals were, but it’s clear that they were far more intelligent than previously imagined.

Stone tools were made by Neanderthals living in the Swabian Jura more than 45,000 years ago using complex methods and a variety of manufacturing tactics. (Modern humans first arrived in Europe 43,000 years ago during the last ice age.)

Many stone artifacts and byproducts of the toolmaking process have been discovered at the Heidenschmiede site. The researchers replaced the parts created from stone cores and were able to demonstrate the procedures employed in the process, which required preparation and thinking.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Dr. Berrin Çep, Benjamin Schürch, and Dr. Jens Axel Frick of the Institute of Prehistory and Medieval Archaeology, as well as Dr. Susanne Münzel of the Institute of Scientific Archaeology, all of the University of Tübingen, published the results of their research in the journal PLOS ONE.

The findings demonstrate that Neanderthals had highly developed skills once again.

Swabian Jura cave
Swabian Jura cave. Photo: UNESCO

The Heidenschmiede, a rock shelter in Heidenheim in southern Germany, was found and excavated in 1928 by amateur archaeologist Hermann Mohn, who identified it as an important site for early human stone and bone activity.

“Our study is the first detailed investigation since then that deals with the many finds and classifies them in more detail,” explains Benjamin Schürch.

The bone and stone tools originate from the Middle Paleolithic and are at least 50,000 to 42,000 years old, according to him. “In this period, modern humans of our current species Homo sapiens were yet to come to the region. It was late Neanderthals living at the Heidenschmiede.”

Stone was used by Neanderthals to make blades, scrapers, and single-edged hand axes, known as Keilmesser, for jobs such as leatherworking, as well as spearheads used for hunting. “It was known that they used various strategies to make such tools,” says Berrin Çep, the study’s primary author.

Statue of a Neanderthal. Photo: Einsamer Schütze - CC BY-SA 4.0
Statue of a Neanderthal. Photo: Einsamer Schütze – CC BY-SA 4.0

She has been attempting to reassemble individual parts in order to have a better understanding of how the inhabitants of the Heidenschmiede operated. “In some cases, we have been able to trace in detail how other basic shapes, such as flakes and blades, were first made from stone cores and then processed into tools,” Çep says. “Reconstructions like this are rarely possible at Neanderthal cave sites in the Swabian Jura because not all of the material from the manufacturing process remains at the site.” In addition, not all findings were typically documented in early digs.”

Early research in the region

“Based on the reconstructions, we were able to prove that the Neanderthals at the Heidenschmiede used a branched manufacturing system in which various techniques known to the makers were applied to one core piece of stone,” Schürch explains, adding that such sophisticated manufacturing processes have only rarely been attested from the Middle Paleolithic.

“This is the first such evidence from the Swabian Jura,” says Jens Axel Frick.

Whoever worked the raw material was able to consider from the outset that parts of the stone could be further worked using a different technique. “This requires strong three-dimensional visualization, creativity, and mentally flexible planning,” says Berrin Çep.

The research team has shown that the early humans who worked the stones from the Heidenschmiede had an excellent working memory overall. The new study results supported other investigations, according to which the Neanderthals possessed great mental flexibility and adaptability, coupled with manual dexterity. At the same time, the varied and elaborate manufacturing processes made visible also provide an explanation as to why a great variability of the assemblages are found in stone artifacts from the Middle Paleolithic.

The University of Tübingen

Related Articles

Stunning carved stone depicting a mystery naked horseman is discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda

30 June 2021

30 June 2021

Near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, archaeologists discovered a carved sandstone slab portraying a naked horseman. During the annual excavations...

Remains of the summer palace of Genghis Khan’s grandson, Hulagu Khan, found in eastern Turkey

7 July 2022

7 July 2022

The archeology study team, consisting of Turkish and Mongolian scientists, found important findings in the study carried out to find...

On the beach of Herculaneum, a victim of the Vesuvius explosion was discovered with his bag

4 December 2021

4 December 2021

Archaeologists released haunting images Wednesday of the skeletal remains of a man buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in...

New research reveals the true function of Bronze Age daggers

30 April 2022

30 April 2022

A new study led by Newcastle University has revealed that the analysis of Bronze Age daggers has shown that they...

Archaeologists Discover Northernmost Hellenistic Elite Residence Featuring Ionic Architecture and Graffito in North Macedonia

2 July 2025

2 July 2025

In a groundbreaking archaeological campaign, the NL Museum of Kumanovo has unearthed a remarkable Hellenistic-era residence near the village of...

Thor’s hammer amulet discovered in Sweden

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed the Thor’s Hammer amulet, which they call “one of its kind” in Ysby in southwestern Sweden’s Halland...

The sword, thought to be a replica, turned out to be an authentic 3000-year-old Bronze Age sword

22 January 2023

22 January 2023

A sword in Chicago’s Field Museum that was previously thought to be a replica has been revealed to be an...

Unique Gold Artefacts of Thracian Horseman Found in Bulgaria

23 August 2024

23 August 2024

The Topolovgrad Municipality posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday that during excavations at the site of a Thracian warrior’s...

Central Turkey’s largest Byzantine mosaic structure found

28 October 2021

28 October 2021

A 300-square-meter (3,330 square feet) ​floor mosaic belonging to the Late Roman-Early Byzantine period was discovered during excavation work in...

Secrets of the Skull Room: 12 Ancient Human Skulls Unearthed in Sefertepe Excavations

16 September 2025

16 September 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered 12 new human skulls during ongoing excavations at Sefertepe, one of the most important sites of the...

Surprisingly High-Altitude Silk Road Cities Discovered in Uzbek Mountains

25 October 2024

25 October 2024

Archaeologists have discovered two lost medieval cities in the eastern mountains of Uzbekistan that were important hubs on the ancient...

Ancient Fish Traps in Denmark Challenge the Neolithic Revolution Narrative and Rewrite Stone Age History

1 July 2025

1 July 2025

A stunning archaeological discovery on the Danish island of Lolland is transforming our understanding of the Neolithic transition. Researchers from...

Grain Barns dating back 6,000 years unearthed in China

15 December 2022

15 December 2022

Chinese archaeologists have revealed a cluster of 16 ancient granaries that traced back to the mid-late period of the Yangshao...

Archaeologists Discovered One of the Earliest Christian Buildings in Bahrain

14 July 2024

14 July 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered one of the earliest known Christian buildings in the Arabian Gulf, located in Samahij, Bahrain, and providing...

6,500-Year-Old Hunting Kit Discovered in West Texas Cave

5 April 2025

5 April 2025

A remarkable archaeological find in the rugged terrain of West Texas is transforming our understanding of the region’s prehistoric inhabitants....