A cave of contested treasures
In the Grotte du Renne ("Reindeer Cave") at Arcy-sur-Cure, archaeologists uncovered a collection of personal ornaments and bone tools from a period known as the Châtelperronian, dating to between 45,000 and 40,000 years ago. The collection includes dozens of objects: ivory pendants, bone awls, and beads made from animal teeth—including those of foxes, reindeer, and marmots—that have been grooved or pierced for stringing. These artifacts were found in the same archaeological layers as Neanderthal remains, specifically teeth and other bone fragments.
The discovery ignited a decades-long debate. The items are typical of the sophisticated symbolic objects made by anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) during the subsequent Aurignacian period. Finding them in a Châtelperronian layer, which is consistently associated with Neanderthals, challenges the long-held view that Neanderthals lacked complex symbolic culture. The site contains 15 distinct archaeological levels, with the Châtelperronian ornaments concentrated in layer "X". This layer also contains the remains of a young Neanderthal infant. The presence of pigments like manganese dioxide suggests the use of body paints or colorants.
Who made the ornaments?
The central question is whether Neanderthals created these items themselves. The evidence presents three main possibilities, each with its own supporters.
The first hypothesis is that Neanderthals developed this symbolic behavior on their own, before or just as modern humans arrived in Europe. This is supported by the direct association of the ornaments with Neanderthal fossils and Châtelperronian tools in the same undisturbed layers of the cave. New techniques, like analyzing ancient proteins from bone fragments, have confirmed the hominin remains in these layers are indeed Neanderthal.
A second theory suggests a process of acculturation. In this scenario, Neanderthals observed the newly arrived Homo sapiens, who were already making similar objects, and began to imitate their designs or acquire items through trade. This would mean Neanderthals were capable of recognizing and adopting symbolic behavior, even if they did not invent it independently.
The third possibility is stratigraphic mixing. Some researchers argue that the cave's layers became disturbed over millennia, causing later ornaments made by Homo sapiens to move down into the older Neanderthal layers. Radiocarbon dating of the site has produced a wide range of ages, which some scientists interpret as evidence of this mixing. However, other studies of the site's layout find no evidence for major disturbances and suggest the dating anomalies are due to contamination of the samples. The debate continues, but the Grotte du Renne remains an important site for understanding the cognitive abilities of Neanderthals.