Hunting by Neandertals was not only subsistence. It was also a highly social activity that helps shed light on their ability to coordinate across groups, and to predict the social behaviors of prey species. johnhawks.net/weblog/what-... - ThreadSky

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johnhawks.bsky.social • 3 days ago

Hunting by Neandertals was not only subsistence. It was also a highly social activity that helps shed light on their ability to coordinate across groups, and to predict the social behaviors of prey species.

https://johnhawks.net/weblog/what-were-the-killing-methods-that-neandertals-used-for-large-prey-animals/

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pample-mousse.bsky.social•2 days ago

I have a fantasy that extended families or clans would meet annually for these hunts, trade materials, meet the new babies, and make the winter’s boots from the hides. It’s one of my falling asleep stories, picturing this.

johnhawks.bsky.social•2 days ago

We know that this kind of rendezvous did happen in Upper Paleolithic times. In earlier societies we have less evidence but a little—occasional long-distance movement of a tool from its geological source suggests either extended range or trade, both would have led to meetups.

sofiagastellu.bsky.social•3 days ago

📌

johnhawks.bsky.social•3 days ago

“When pursuing large numbers of animals, the final stages in Neanderthal hunts were marked by chaos, a killing frenzy that precluded any on-the-spot targeting of individuals.” —Mark White, Paul Pettitt, and Danielle Schreve

Image: Butchery of Palaeoloxodon antiquus, Alex Boersma, PNAS

radicalanthro.bsky.social•1 day ago

That AI image does not look well informed on how to kill big elephants! Our own Jerome Lewis knows a thing or two!

radicalanthro.bsky.social•1 day ago

Oh not AI. The artist should talk to him.

shumon.bsky.social•2 days ago

Hi John, a few years ago we have tried to elaborate on this point from a slightly different perspective, see https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278416522000174

johnhawks.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thanks for linking this one, I think that's a great article!

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