FEATURE - Findings In Chagyrskaya Cave In Russia's Altay Suggest Neanderthals Had Sense Of Beauty

FEATURE - Findings in Chagyrskaya Cave in Russia's Altay Suggest Neanderthals Had Sense of Beauty

Scholars from the Archaeology and Ethnography Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have found at Chagyrskaya Cave in the Russian Altay Mountains, which used to be inhabited by Neanderthals, a piece of quartz crystal believed to have been brought to the cave for aesthetic purposes, which could indicate that these early humans had sense of beauty, Ksenia Kolobova, the institute's researcher, told reporters on Monday.

NOVOSIBIRSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2018) Scholars from the Archaeology and Ethnography Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian academy of Sciences have found at Chagyrskaya Cave in the Russian Altay Mountains, which used to be inhabited by Neanderthals, a piece of quartz crystal believed to have been brought to the cave for aesthetic purposes, which could indicate that these early humans had sense of beauty, Ksenia Kolobova, the institute's researcher, told reporters on Monday.

"We have found in the occupation layers of Chagyrskaya Cave a small quartz crystal, which, according to our geologist, had been brought [to the cave] from the outside. A trace evidence expert examined this crystal and did not find traces of it ever having been used, but he did find that [the piece] was broken off a [larger] crystal on purpose. Thus, we can assume that the Neanderthals deliberately brought this piece of beautiful rock crystal to the cave and but did not utilize it in any way," Kolobova said.

Kolobova explained that it was thought that the Neanderthals did not have sense of beauty or produce artifacts, a theory that was now being challenged by the recent finding.

"Here we can conclude that [the Neanderthals'] cognitive abilities were developing, which was previously thought to be impossible. Now we can state that [the Neanderthals] liked something beautiful and they brought it on purpose. We can speak about the sense of beauty, [the need for which they addressed] by carrying out a specific sequence of actions," Kolobova indicated.

The archaeologists now intend to search for nearby quartz deposits, as well as chalcedony and jasper deposits that were used by the Neanderthals to make stone tools in the surrounding areas.

"We will find out from where, how and why they were bringing [these rocks]. It used to be thought before that the Neanderthals just picked up a pebble from the ground and used it somehow. But this is not like that," Kolobova revealed.

Chagyrskaya Cave is situated in the southern part of the Altay Territory. The archaeological research of the past decade has proved that the Neanderthals came to the area about 60,000 years ago from the territory of Eastern Europe. According to scholars, the Neanderthals might have reached the Altay territories by following the bison they were feeding on.