Neanderthal Home Made of Mammoth Bones Discovered

December 20, 2011 by Conner Flynn

Science

It was always assumed that Neanderthals were wanderers who lived in caves during harsh weather, but some new information regarding Neanderthals is challenging that way of thinking. Neanderthals may have been smarter than we think. Over the last few decades, evidence of cooking, burying their dead, making jewelry, and perhaps even speaking to one another has come to light.
Now there has been a discovery of an actual home built by Neanderthals, making it clear that they were far more advanced then we give them credit for. The home, found in the eastern Ukraine, is 26 feet across. It looks like the home was built in two parts. The base was created by assembling large mammoth bones to support the structure. The bones were probably both gathered and acquired from kills.
There is also evidence that they lived in it for a long time, since 25 different hearths were found inside. The house may have been topped by wood or other materials that were gathered. It is believed to be the oldest known home built of bones.