How Neanderthals used a lakeshore in Germany to hunt, butcher and survive

Neanderthals hunted giant elephants in Europe

One day over 120,000 years ago, a resourceful group of Neanderthals took down a 7,700-pound, ancient elephant in present-day Germany. Now, paleoanthropologists studying the area can confirm that the remnants of this kill are the first known scene of its kind, finally solving a nearly 80-year-old mystery. According to their study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, at least some Neanderthals knew how to successfully take down Eu…

How Neanderthals used a lakeshore in Germany to hunt, butcher and survive

In 1948, a group of amateurs led by a local headmaster in Lehringen, Germany, uncovered the skeleton of a straight-tusked elephant—the largest land mammal known to have roamed Europe—in 125,000-year-old sediments from the last interglacial period. There was an important surprise in this find: between the ribs, the team discovered a complete wooden spear belonging to Neanderthal hunters. Over the years, this was interpreted as either direct evide…

Discoveries from Ancient Bones Illuminate Neanderthal Elephant Hunting Techniques

Evidence of Ancient Human Butchery on Lehringen Elephant Bones Image Credit: VOLKER_MINKUS In the backroom of the distinguished Schöningen Research Museum in Germany, a collection of mismatched cardboard boxes reveals archaeological treasures. Discovered in Rehringen, a village located 150 kilometers away, these boxes hold invaluable artifacts. In 1948, researchers uncovered 125,000-year-old bones from the Paleoloxodon [...] The post Discoveries…

Elephant meat aplenty for Neanderthals 125,000 years ago

26.03.2026 - Researchers find evidence of successful hunt and exploitation of range of animals in Germany. In 1948, a group of amateurs led by a local headmaster in Lehringen, Germany, uncovered the skeleton of a straight-tusked elephant - the largest land mammal known to have roamed Europe - in 125,000-year-old sediments from the last interglacial period.