The relationship between humans and Neanderthals has consistently been shrouded in mystery, but a collection of new studies has now solved a major piece of the puzzle. Based on analysis of ancient bone fragments, researchers shed light on early humans’ presence in northern Europe alongside Neanderthals, answering questions that have long engulfed the science community.
Researchers set their sights on Ilsenhöhle, an archaeological site at the base of a castle in Ranis, Germany. An international team re-excavated the site from 2016 to 2022 to locate deposits from prior excavations that took place between 1932 and 1938. Evidence of stone tools and human bone fragments drove the effort to explain the appearance of early humans in Northern Europe. The results were discussed in a trio of papers recently published in Nature and Nature Ecology and Evolution.
