🧐 Ancient Beat #157: Savvy Neanderthals, pyramid builders, and sloth bones shaking up the timeline again

Welcome, friends. This is issue #157 of Ancient Beat — here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

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🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• Neanderthals Operated Prehistoric “Fat Factory” 125,000 Years Ago On German Lakeshore — At the Neumark-Nord 2 site in central Germany, Neanderthals around 125,000 years ago systematically processed bones to extract grease, marking the earliest known example of large-scale fat rendering. This process involved crushing bones from at least 172 large animals—including deer, horses, and aurochs—and boiling them to release nutrient-rich bone grease. The practice reveals an advanced understanding of nutrition, food storage, and resource planning. Evidence shows different activity zones: one for deer butchering, another for elephant processing, and what appears to be a designated area for fat extraction near a shallow pool. Nearby sites yielded remains of 76 rhinos and 40 elephants, highlighting the scale of exploitation. The intensity and organization of this activity challenge assumptions that such complex fat processing was unique to later Homo sapiens. Ah, that’s good stuff. You know me — I love a good “they were smarter than we give them credit for” discovery.

• Ancient Sloth Bone From Uruguay Shows Signs Of Possible Human-Inflicted Trauma 33,000 Years Ago — A calcaneus (heel bone) from a giant ground sloth (Lestodon armatus) found in Arroyo del Vizcaíno, Uruguay, displays a deep, cone-shaped puncture likely caused by a human-made weapon around 33,000 years ago—well before the recently-accepted-but-by-no-means-conclusive arrival of humans in South America (~23,000 cal yr BP). The indentation measures 21 mm wide and nearly 41 mm deep, with smooth entry edges, conchoidal fractures, and microscopic striations indicating penetration by a rotating, possibly rounded tool tip. Plant fibers embedded in the wound suggest transfer from a wooden or composite spear. The angle of impact (about 60°) aligns with a close-range thrusting motion, possibly to immobilize rather than butcher. The site also contains over 2,000 megafaunal remains and dozens of bones with cut marks, suggesting prolonged human–megafauna interaction. If confirmed, this pushes back the timeline of human presence and hunting behavior in South America by at least 10,000 years. Throwback: Exactly two years ago, I covered a sloth pendant that was discovered, pushing the timeline 25,000 years ago. Check it out in issue #69.

• Radiocarbon Dating Reveals Rapa Nui Not As Isolated As Previously Thought — New research challenges the idea that Rapa Nui (AKA Easter Island) developed in isolation after its initial settlement. By comparing archaeological data and radiocarbon dates from settlements, ritual spaces, and monuments across East Polynesia, a more complex pattern of ritual development is revealed. While the initial spread of ritual ideas was from west to east, more elaborate temple structures, known as marae, developed earlier on Easter Island. These structures, which include the famous moai sculptures, then influenced other parts of East Polynesia in an east-to-west movement, indicating robust interaction networks between islands. I love that the influence can actually be seen flowing both ways.

• Archaeologists Unveil 3,500-Year-Old City In Peru — A newly uncovered 3,500-year-old city named Peñico has been revealed in Peru’s northern Barranca province, about 200 km (125 mi) north of Lima and 1,970 ft above sea level. Dated to between 1800 and 1500 BCE, the site likely served as a trade nexus linking coastal, highland, and Amazonian communities. Archaeologists identified 18 structures, including ceremonial temples and residences, centered around a circular structure on a terraced hillside. Excavations unearthed ceremonial items, clay figurines of humans and animals, and bead-and-shell necklaces. Located near the site of Caral—the Americas’ oldest known civilization—Peñico may represent a continuation of that society following its decline due to climate shifts. The discovery deepens understanding of regional trade, social organization, and cultural continuity in prehistoric Andean civilizations.

  

  Image credit: Reuters

• Ancient Inscriptions Reveal Identity Of Great Pyramid Builders — Newly documented red-ochre inscriptions inside hidden chambers above the King’s Chamber in Khufu’s pyramid identify rotating work gangs, adding weight to the growing consensus that the Great Pyramid was built by paid laborers—not slaves. Supporting evidence includes nearby workers' tombs with statues, titles like “artisan” and “overseer of the side of the pyramid,” and evidence of a permanent village complete with bakeries, medical facilities, and dormitories. The laborers consumed a robust diet including beef and goat, were highly organized, and likely worked in ten-day shifts with occasional half-days off. Camera footage from the “Big Void”—a 30 m (98 ft) cavity detected above the Grand Gallery—showed only quarry marks. Excavations also uncovered remnants of a rubble-and-mud ramp system used to haul stone blocks from a nearby quarry just 300 m (984 ft) away.

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 21 discoveries and 2 recommended pieces of content covering Egyptian kings, Swiss army knives, and domestication.

Until next time, thanks for joining me!

-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum

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🗞 Ancient News: Deep Dive