Neanderthals cooked roast dinners.
Neanderthals made roast dinners
Studies show that our ancestors roasted small birds for meals as scientists set out to replicate how they would have cut up and cooked the meat.
Researchers at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution collected five wild birds that had died from natural causes in Portugal and used Neanderthal cooking techniques that saw the birds plucked by hand and butchered with a flint flake - small and sharp pieces of rock that were used as a cutting tool.
The experiment highlighted the complex challenge that Neanderthals faced when preparing a meal.
Dr. Mariana Nabais, lead author of the study, said: "Using a flint flake for butchering required significant precision and effort, which we had not fully valued before this experiment.
"The flakes were sharper than we initially thought, requiring careful handling to make precise cuts without injuring our own fingers.
"These hands-on experiments emphasised the practical challenge involved in Neanderthal food processing and cooking, providing a tangible connection to their daily life and survival strategies."