A foot just long 11 centimetersplanted in the wet sand of a dune. The heel is barely visible, the footbed still not formed, just like that of a very small child who is learning to walk. But this, nor the memory of a day at the beach: it is A fossilized photography of 80,000 years agoleft by a child neanderthal in what is the coast of Portugal today.
His footprints, flanked by those of at least one adult and another older child, were discovered on the Monte Clérigo beachin the Algarve. And they are something rare and precious:, but a daily gesture imprinted in the sand – a direct testimony of a moment of life.
An exceptional site
The footprints emerged from an inclined surface of about 35 degrees, an ancient sandy slope today fossilized. The researchers, studying the depth, the distance and the size of the steps, they managed to reconstruct who had passed from there: a Adult about 1.70 meters higha Child between 7 and 9 years old and, the most surprising discovery, a Toddlerthat is, a child under two years old.
This small trace is the most significant: not only shows that the Neanderthals moved to family groupsbut suggests they were close to their campprobably a few steps from the beach. Bringing such a small child in an open environment would not have been safe if the area was not familiar and relatively quiet.
And above all, the path they followed is not accidental: instead of climbing straight on the slope, they chose a curved and oblique journeyeasier to travel. A behavior that indicates Planning and awareness.
Not just mammoth hunting
For decades we told ourselves a rather rigid idea of the Neanderthals: strong men, roughs, specialized in the big hunting. But the Monte Clérigo website tells another story. Human footprints overlap with wild animals, such as deer, but also point to the seagoing back and forth from the shore.
This suggests they were collecting marine resources: shells, crustaceans, perhaps also fish or small beached animals. Activities that are done safe and that they can be shared with the little ones.
And in fact, more and more studies show that the Neanderthal diet was much more varied Of what we thought: not only mammoths, but also turtles, birds, seafood and even seals. A food approach flexible, adapted to the environmentwho may have helped them survive for a long time, especially in coastal areas such as Iberia.
A different image of the Neanderthals
These fossil footprints are not just an archaeological discovery. I am a change of perspective. Show that the Neanderthals they lived in complex groupstook care of the little ones, knew how to plan and adapt. They were not the “brutes” who for years have taught us at school.
The footsteps left to Monte Clérigo and Praia do Telheiroin Portugal, are the concrete proof of this change of gaze. For a moment they allow us to approach usto imagine a simple and daily scene: A family walking on the sandperhaps in search of dinner, perhaps just enjoying a moment of tranquility.
In those footsteps there is humanity, care, intelligence. And the message is clear :.
