Ancient bones reveal early Homo sapiens Neanderthal contact

A 140,000-year timeline suggests peaceful interaction between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals in the Levant.

Ancient bones reveal early Homo sapiens Neanderthal contact

Researchers studied a child burial from Skhul Cave in northern Israel, dated about 140,000 years ago. Using thousands of CT scans and a virtual 3D model, they examined tiny features inside the skull and the imprint left by blood vessels. Without DNA, they cannot prove a hybrid, but the combination of traits points to interbreeding and challenges the idea that these groups lived apart.

Lead researcher Israel Hershkovitz says the work implies an extensive relationship between the two groups and a period when they lived side by side with no clear hostile encounters. The study, published in L'Anthropologie, also highlights how modern visualization tools let archaeologists revisit old fossils and refine their reconstructions. Critics note that data gaps remain, yet several experts see the findings as a plausible case for early hybrid characteristics and a more nuanced view of human evolution.

The study reframes how we think about ancient neighbors. By leaning on 3D modeling rather than only the visible bone, researchers can detect patterns that DNA tests cannot reveal in this case. It nudges scholars to consider shared cultures, like burials and toolmaking, as signs of cooperation rather than conquest. The claim of an 140,000-year timeline also invites a deeper look at how prehistoric people moved, traded, and learned from one another across the Levant. As methods improve, the past becomes a more careful argument than a single verdict.

Highlights

The past keeps offering new clues as tools grow sharper.