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2h ago

Portugal’s First Neanderthal Footprints Point to Coastal Living and Hunting Tactics

Ecological network analysis ties the Algarve record to a diversified diet with marine inputs.

Human footprints in the sand, similar to the ones researchers found on the Iberian Peninsula, not associated with the study.
Reconstituted scenario of Monte Clérigo tracksite, generated by AI tools following the guidance. Image credit: J.M. Galán / AI.

Overview

  • Two Pleistocene dune sites—Praia do Monte Clérigo (~78,000 years) and Praia do Telheiro (~82,000 years)—yield the first Neanderthal tracksites reported in Portugal.
  • Monte Clérigo preserves five tracks comprising 26 footprints from an adult male and two children, including a toddler about a year old.
  • Praia do Telheiro retains a single footprint attributed to a teenager or an adult female.
  • One track at Monte Clérigo shows overlapping human and deer prints, supporting route planning and a pursuit or ambush event in dune terrain.
  • Comparative evidence across Iberian coastal sites indicates diets centered on deer, horses and hares, with supplemental littoral resources, as detailed in the Scientific Reports paper published July 3.