Neanderthals Carried Reusable Toolkits on High-Altitude Alps Treks

When Neanderthals in Italy were crossing the Alps, it's likely they took refuge in high-altitude bear caves. A new study of stone tools in Caverna Generosa, a cave sitting 1,450 meters up in the mountains, found that these travelers also brought a toolkit with them. Over the years, hundreds of bear skeletons have been discovered inside the cave. But among the animal teeth, bones, and other remains, 16 stone tools were also recovered. In this latest research, published in the Journal of Quaternary Science, scientists performed a detailed analysis of these artifacts to find how and why they were used so far up the mountain. Prehistoric backpackers The first discovery was that the tools weren't made in the cave, as no flakes or chips were left behind from carving them. This means Neanderthals brought the objects with them. But where did they come from? The team analyzed the chemical makeup of the stones and compared them to local rocks. They found that the tools were made of high-quality flint and radiolarite sourced from a few kilometers away and much lower down the mountain. Using high-powered microscopes, the scientists saw retouch marks on the edges of the tools, suggesting that Neanderthals had resharpened them repeatedly. This wasn't a place where they made new tools, so the items they brought with them were most likely carefully maintained to last for the duration of their trip. "The extremely low density of artifacts, their taphonomic alteration, and the lack of in situ knapping debris all indicate that the site was not a residential base but rather a place of episodic passage, where finished tools, mainly represented by Levallois products [a prehistoric method of making stone tools], were introduced as part of mobile toolkits," wrote the scientists in their paper. Detailed wear analysis of the tools was not possible due to their poor condition. But in other bear caves, similar tools have been linked to animal processing, which may mean that the Neanderthals entering Caverna Generosa were hunting bears or scavenging those that died during hibernation. However, they probably weren't living alongside these beasts. They most likely used the caves during the summer months when the bears were away. Skilled planners These findings offer fresh insights into the lives of Neanderthals. While much of our knowledge comes from permanent settlements in valleys, this study suggests they were also skilled at planning trips. They knew how to prepare for long journeys, what gear they would need and when to move. © 2026 Science X Network