Neanderthals Crafted Spears, Trays and Unique Club at Spanish Rock Shelter

A team of scientists studied wood remains from the Abric Romaní rock shelter in Catalonia, uncovering 13 artifacts among 597 specimens collected across 16 archaeological layers dated between 62,000 and 40,000 years ago. The finds include two spears—one roughly eight feet long and another preserving a six-and-a-half-foot pointed tip—several pointed sticks, four bark trays, and wooden elements interpreted as parts of structures.

Notably, a club-like object with a shaped handle and broader working end has no known parallel in the prehistoric record. Preservation occurred because calcium carbonate from the surrounding travertine created natural molds that captured wood at the cellular level before it fully decayed. Scraping marks on the club indicate deliberate shaping, though its exact purpose remains uncertain. The researchers argue that these items demonstrate Neanderthals regularly engaged in woodworking, a skill previously under-recognized due to the rarity of preserved wood, and that it complemented their stone-tool repertoire.