Neanderthals collected seashells by the seashore. They also may have swum underwater to retrieve live clams to later shape into sharp tools and scrapers, according to a new study. “Our findings enlarge our knowledge of the range of capacities Neanderthals had,” said Sylvain Soriano, an archaeologist from Paris Nanterre University and an author of the paper. “Now we can say that they were able to dive in shallow water.”The conclusion is based on more than 170 handmade shell tools found in an Italian cave. Some of the shell tools dated back to around 100,000 years ago.

Source: New York Times January 15, 2020 18:56 UTC