Turtles

The traditional image of Neanderthals as hunters focused solely on massive Ice Age beasts is being steadily overturned by new archaeological discoveries. A study published in Scientific Reports on April 8, 2026, now provides the first evidence that Neanderthals in Central Europe also hunted and processed European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) around 125,000 years ago. Intriguingly, the researchers believe these turtles were not caught primarily for their meat, but rather for their shells, which may have been repurposed as containers or scooping implements. The international research team, led by Professor Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser of the Institute for Ancient Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution (MONREPOS/LEIZA), examined turtle shell fragments from