80,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Footprints Reveal How Children Hunted On Beaches

Prehistoric footprints found at the southwestern tip of mainland Europe show how Neanderthal families worked together to ambush prey on the beach. Dated to around 80,000 years ago, the trackways were discovered at two coastal sites in the Algarve region of Portugal and include prints made by adults, children, and toddlers.

The older of the two discoveries comes from Praia do Telheiro, near the surfing hotspot of Sagres, and consists of a single footprint that was left on a sand dune about 82,000 years ago. However, a more extensive and interesting trackway was found at the nearby Monte Clérigo site, where 10 Neanderthal footprints belonging to three individuals were left on a dune some 78,000 years ago.

Based on the size and shape of these prints, the authors of a new study determine that the trio included an adult male measuring between 1.69 and 1.73 meters in height (5 foot 6 inches to 5 foot 8 inches), a child between the ages of 7 and 9, and a toddler under the age of 2. While it’s virtually impossible to distinguish Neanderthal from modern human footprints, the researchers say there’s no doubt that these tracks were made by the former, as they come from a period when “no other hominin was present in the most southwestern part of Europe.”

The presence of what appears to be a family group on this Portuguese dune also leads the study authors to speculate that the area must have been very close to a Neanderthal campsite. At the same time, the researchers suggest that the prints may capture a group hunting activity, possibly targeting red deer.

Noting that red deer footprints were found on the same dune, the authors explain that the animal has a tendency to jump into the sea and drown when stalked, and that the sandy terrain may also have slowed down prey attempting to escape from Neanderthal spears. This coastal environment would therefore have lent itself well to ambush hunting strategies – something Neanderthals specialized in.

And as the new discoveries illustrate, these hunts may have involved entire family groups – including those who had not long learned to walk. “The fact that in the context of Monte Clérigo infant footprints were found together with those of older individuals suggests that children were present when adults performed day-to-day activities… which may indicate that children may have had to start learning these skills at a very young age,” write the researchers.

The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.