A chance discovery at a thermal spring
In 2012, excavations for a new thermal pool near Grosseto, Tuscany, uncovered an archaeological site of great importance. The location, known as Poggetti Vecchi, is a geothermal area with natural hot springs that have been active for millennia. Buried in the waterlogged, low-oxygen sediments, which are excellent for preserving organic materials, were dozens of wooden artifacts. Radiometric dating of the site's layers places these finds at approximately 171,000 years old, during the Middle Pleistocene. This age attributes the tools to early Neanderthals.
Alongside the wooden implements, archaeologists found about 200 stone tools and a significant number of animal bones. The faunal remains belong predominantly to the straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), a large species that inhabited Europe during warm interglacial periods. The presence of multiple elephants suggests the site may have been a place where these animals were butchered after dying of natural causes. The combination of animal remains and tools shows Neanderthal behavior and their interaction with the environment.
Neanderthal woodworking technology
The Poggetti Vecchi finds include 39 tools identified as digging sticks. These implements are all fragmentary but were originally over a meter long. They feature a rounded end for a handle and a pointed working end, a design consistent with multipurpose tools used by foraging societies. Analysis of the wood identified it as boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), an extremely hard and dense wood.
Microscopic examination of the sticks shows the manufacturing process. The Neanderthals who made them selected appropriate branches, stripped them, and shaped them using various stone tools. Most significantly, many of the sticks show evidence of being partially charred. This was not accidental. Experimental archaeology has shown that applying controlled fire to boxwood makes it easier to scrape, shape, and harden. This use of pyrotechnology for woodworking is some of the earliest direct evidence of Neanderthals using fire as a tool-making aid. The production of these digging sticks required planning, a sequence of different actions, and an understanding of materials.