title: Neandertal cannibalism and Neandertal bones used as tools in Northern Europe.
abstract: Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive and symbolic abilities of these populations remain a subject of intense debate. We present 99 new Neandertal remains from the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) dated to 40,500-45,500 calBP. The remains were identified through a multidisciplinary study that combines morphometrics, taphonomy, stable isotopes, radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses. The Goyet Neandertal bones show distinctive anthropogenic modifications, which provides clear evidence for butchery activities as well as four bones having been used for retouching stone tools. In addition to being the first site to have yielded multiple Neandertal bones used as retouchers, Goyet not only provides the first unambiguous evidence of Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe, but also highlights considerable diversity in mortuary behaviour among the region's late Neandertal population in the period immediately preceding their disappearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge, CA 91330-8244, USA.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rougier
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR 5199-PACEA, A3P, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Crevecoeur
authors.affiliation: Archéosphère, 2 Rue des Noyers, 11500 Quirbajou, France.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beauval
authors.affiliation: Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.|Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Khalaische Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Posth
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire TRACES - UMR 5608, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Maison de la Recherche, 5 Allée Antonio Machado, 31058 Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Flas
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wißing
authors.affiliation: Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furtwängler
authors.affiliation: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 Vautier St, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mietje
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Germonpré
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV-EHU. Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.|IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, María Díaz de Haro 3, 48013 Bilbao, Spain.|UMR 7194 CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France.|Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Asier
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Olivencia
authors.affiliation: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 Vautier St, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Semal
authors.affiliation: Centre for Isotope Research, Groningen University, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands.|Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Plicht
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.|Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen, 72072 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bocherens
authors.affiliation: Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.|Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Khalaische Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany.|Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen, 72072 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krause
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D001842:Bone and Bones; D002190:Cannibalism; D005580:Fossils; D009027:Mortuary Practice; D059125:Neanderthals / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D055110:Radiometric Dating