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.