Overview
- Researchers analyzed 16 ochre fragments from Neanderthal-associated rock shelters in Crimea and mainland Ukraine using scanning electron microscopy and portable X-ray techniques.
- The team reports deliberate shaping, resharpening, and contact wear on several pieces, indicating use as marking tools rather than exclusively for practical tasks.
- A roughly 4.5–5 centimeter yellow ochre fragment dated to at least 42,000 years shows repeated resharpening and wear consistent with drawing lines under pressure.
- Additional finds include a broken red ochre piece interpreted as part of an older crayon-like tool near 70,000 years and a flat orange fragment with parallel incisions and polish suggesting engraving and later curation.
- The Science Advances study led by Francesco d’Errico emphasizes interpretive caution given ochre’s many uses yet concludes these artifacts strengthen evidence for Neanderthal symbolic activity.