Discovery of Neanderthal Structures in France

Circular structures dating back 176,000 years have recently been found in a cave in southwestern France, indicating that Neanderthals were smarter than previously believed. Neanderthals, a species of early humans, went extinct about 40,000 years ago coinciding with the arrival of modern humans from Africa to Europe. According to Reuters, scientists announced on Wednesday that they discovered six circular stone structures 336 meters inside the Bruniquel cave located in the Aude region of France. Although the purpose of these structures is still unclear, they are among the oldest known human-made artifacts. Scientists believe these structures were built by Neanderthals, who went extinct nearly 40,000 years ago with the arrival of early humans, Homo sapiens, in Europe. These six structures, which have short walls, were constructed using stalagmites from the cave floor. Stalagmites are columns of mineral deposits that rise from the cave floor. The walls, forming two circles, range from two to seven meters in height. All of them show remnants of fire. Dominique Genty, a prehistoric climate specialist and member of the Climate and Environment Laboratory in France, states, 'They moved more than two tons of broken stalagmites.' This recent finding suggests that Neanderthals were more intelligent than previously thought. Other research indicates that these early human-animal species used complex methods for hunting, communicated verbally, controlled fire, and even painted their bodies, which is considered a form of art. While other Neanderthal structures have been discovered before, experts say none have been as impressive as these. They argue that constructing such structures deep inside a cave requires leadership to coordinate the group's efforts, as well as the creation of building materials and keeping the space lit for an extended period. Jacques Jaubert, a prehistoric professor at the University of Bordeaux, says, 'This requires a group of at least three or four people. This indicates an organized society.' The results of this new discovery have been published in the scientific journal Nature.