Smart guys: Neanderthals made fire with manganese oxide – Scientias.nl

it was thought that Neanderthals used the substance as a pigment, but now it appears that they have something else did with this mineral.

Manganese oxide is a dark colored mineral that since the stone age is used as a pigment. In France, for example, to find cave paintings that have come about thanks to this mineral.

Little effort

The collection of manganese oxide was quite a job. To this end was the idea that Neanderthals used the substance as a pigment, a bit strange. Indeed there were any other pigments available that were much easier to obtain (eg soot or charcoal). And now is found that Neanderthals fire made with this mineral. That’s a lot more sense, say the researchers. The use of fire has many benefits that outweigh the energy required to collect the cubes. So fire was social, but also a symbolic function.

Pigment?
That manganese oxide also Neanderthals was not strange, we already knew. During excavations in France, researchers near Neanderthals also found many pieces of manganese oxide. It was assumed that Neanderthals used this as a pigment. They would have their bodies adorned with.

Fire
But new research now shows that the Neanderthals who lived 50,000 years ago in France, something very otherwise did with the cubes. They gathered the mineral to Dutch researchers to make fire, so write in the journal Scientific Reports .

Experiments
they draw that conclusion basis of a number of discoveries. First experiments show that manganese can assist in igniting a fire and or because the mineral lowers the flash point tremendously. In addition, the researchers suggest that manganese oxide was often found near the hearths of Neanderthals. It is also evidence that Neanderthals grind the mineral

The research shows once again that we should not underestimate the Neanderthals.; they were smart humanoids, say the researchers. They point out that make fire using manganese oxide is not known to contemporary hunters and gatherers. Moreover, we must not forget that manganese oxide by itself is non-flammable and therefore not immediately obvious to use this material to make fire.