La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1

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Skull of the Neanderthal man La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 (original)

La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 (also: LCS1 or "Old Man of La Chapelle") is the scientific name of a very well-preserved skeleton of a Neanderthal man ( Homo. ) That was recovered in 1908 near the French community of La Chapelle-aux-Saints neanderthalenis ). The find consisted of an almost complete skull with an associated lower jaw and numerous other body bones; at the time it was the most complete known fossil of a Neanderthal man. The find was first described in 1909 by its discoverers, a detailed scientific description was given from 1913 by Marcellin Boule . For decades, his publications shaped both the scientific and popular scientific notions of the supposedly "ape" appearance of the Neanderthals.

discovery

The place of discovery: La Bouffia Bonneval
Reconstruction of the entombment of the Neanderthal man at La Chapelle-aux-Saints

The site, a small, approximately four meter wide cave with various layers of settlement, called La Bouffia Bonneval , was discovered by the brothers Abbè Jean and Abbè Amèdèe Bouyssonie and their colleagues Abbè Louis Bardon since 1905 during their joint inventory and mapping of collections visited prehistoric stone tools . In the course of a test excavation on August 3, 1908 in the cave at a depth of three meters, they first encountered the humerus of a person and in its immediate vicinity a "clearly Neanderthal-like" skull ("nettement neanderthaloide"). Since the find came from the same stratum in which there were also worked stone tools that could be assigned to the period of the Moustérien associated with the Neanderthal culture , the fossil find was considered to be reliably dated from the start ("partfaitement daté"). This early dating has recently been confirmed and an age of around 45,000 to 60,000 years has been calculated for the fossil using electron spin resonance ; the age at the onset of death is now reported to be 40 to 45 years. The fossil, interpreted as male, lay on his back with his legs bent sharply, the thighs close to the upper body. The right arm was bent, the hand on the head, which was pressed against the wall of the pit and supported by a few stones; all bones sunk into a pit measuring 145 × 100 × 30 cm, so that the three Abbès reported in their publication from 1909 that the deceased was buried there ("intentionnellement enseveli"), apparently in the middle of a residential area. Initially the old age was assumed to be 60, hence the term “old man”; however, after further analyzes this assumption was revised to less than 50 years. There were bits of ocher near the bones.

The three discoverers - proven experts in the field of stone tools - had already recognized that when they found some anatomical features that are typical of a (later so-called) "classic Neanderthal": among other things, a longitudinally oval skull shape, distinctive bulges above the eyes , a relatively flat forehead and a receding chin. But they were not experts in writing precise morphological and anatomical descriptions of their bones. So they turned to Marcellin Boule, then director of the Institut de Paléontologie humain at the prestigious Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris and holder of the chair of paleontology located there .

Find analysis from 1911

“Monkey” reconstruction of the Neanderthal man from La Chapelle-aux-Saints (left) by Marcellin Boule in comparison with a skeleton of anatomically modern humans

The skeleton of La-Chapelle-aux-Saints was first kept in the house of the Bouyssonie brothers by its discoverers, cleaned, then brought to Marcellin Boule in Paris at the beginning of 1909 and given to him for examination. In the following two years, Boule analyzed and drew every single bone and from 1911 published a multi-part study with a total of 278 pages under the simple title L'homme fossile de La Chapelle-aux-Saints - “a masterpiece. This monograph was a complete overview of the "Old Man", beginning with the excavation of the fossil and ending with comparisons with other Neanderthal finds from across Europe. 'L'Homme' consisted of chapters with anatomical descriptions, with careful measurements and photographs of individual bones and the site of La Chapelle. Each chapter included tables with careful measurements and comparisons with other Neanderthals (usually with the Neanderthals from Spy in Belgium ) and with various apes . […] The study also contained 16 wonderful, detailed stereoscopic prints of every single bone in the skeleton - 3-D ' data sharing' in 1911. "

Marcellin Boule described the anatomical features of the skull and the bones below the skull in such detail and detail, which is why the "old man" quickly and for decades became the "Neanderthal par excellence", that is, the most important reference and comparison object for newly discovered Neanderthals - more important than the eponymous fossil Neandertal 1 from near Düsseldorf . This was mainly due to the fact that the "old man" has all the typical characteristics of the "classic Neanderthal":

  • oval, elongated skull with a flat forehead
  • distinctive arches above the eyes
  • large nostril and eye sockets
  • receding chin
  • Limb bones with large articular surfaces
  • Cervical vertebrae with long spinous processes
  • long collarbones and broad shoulder blades
  • robust lumbar and thoracic vertebrae
  • strong ribs and deep chest
  • as well as pronounced attachment points for neck and shoulder muscles
  • overall a stocky, robust appearance

What is noticeable about this fossil (and Boule also did not miss it) are the teeth that have largely been lost during life as well as signs of advanced arthritis , which must have led to restricted mobility and the need for help.

At the time, Boules' study was “by far the most comprehensive on the anatomy and kinship of the Neanderthals”, and according to Ian Tattersall , his reconstruction of posture determined “the image of Neanderthals for the next few years. This was - to say the least - a misfortune, since Boule had very clear ideas about the Neanderthals. ”Boule“ did everything possible to prove that the Neanderthals were anatomically more simply built than modern humans in almost every imaginable characteristics. ”He ignored the large brain, "according to his own statements, more than 1600 ml, and portrayed the Neanderthals as fools with bent knees, crooked necks, limp postures, grasping feet and an underdeveloped brain." This prejudiced interpretation of the morphological structure of the Neanderthal bones, "primitive" and "ape", with an opposable big toe like the chimpanzee , not only shaped the scientific discourse until the 1950s, but was also included - much longer - in the illustrations of popular science books on human tribal history and in the dioramas of natural history museums .

Revision of the alleged primitiveness

Synopsis of the bones below the skull (originals)

“The generalization of the bent over arthritic posture of the 'old man' to all Neanderthals” outlasted Boules's death in 1942, because due to his great reputation “nobody bothered to review or add to his statements until the 1950s . ”In mid-1955, however, during the VI. International Anatomic Congress in Paris, William L. Strauss and AJE Cave gained access to the original bones and were amazed "at the unexpected severity of the osteoarthritic deformations of the spine ." Two years later, the two British anatomists published an extensive re-evaluation of the anatomy of the " Old man ”and argued u. a. that - without the consequences of his serious illness - he would have walked upright. In a study by Erik Trinkaus in 1985, the findings of Strauss and Cave were confirmed; At the same time, however, Trinkaus pointed out that the numerous degenerative changes in the vertebrae, hip and humerus bones and a broken rib ultimately had no significant influence on his posture - their stooped, "ape" reconstruction (in combination with morphological misinterpretations) was a consequence of Prejudices were boules. The comparatively high signs of wear and tear on the skeleton of the "old man" had led to the assumption of a high life expectancy in Neanderthals in the first analyzes; It was only later that it was recognized that the life expectancy of those who had not died as children was only 35 to 40 years.

The turning away from the description of the Neanderthals as “primitive” finally opened the view to alleged social welfare in their groups: Although the “old man” had lost almost all of his teeth and was severely restricted in his mobility, he was still comparatively old and was presumably dependent on help from his group years before his death.

It is not known since when the Neanderthals began to dig hollows as “graves” and against what background: as “hiding places” from carrion robbers or in memory of the deceased; However, the deliberate entombment of the “old man” is considered certain, as the color of the filling of the pit clearly differed from the surrounding sediment. The incomplete leg of a cattle was found above the head of the “old man”, but it is controversial as a “grave object” - like bone or stone implements found in other Moustérien graves: “These could be used as equipment and for supply later Life was meant, but it would also be conceivable that they ended up in the grave more or less by chance as ubiquitous objects in the living room. ”For the color mineral pieces that were also found - apparently resulting from abrasion - this can be assumed.

At the beginning of 2014, a French research group reported on the results of a twelve-year excavation in the Bouffia Bonneval . In the course of these investigations, not only was the evidence of a deliberate burial confirmed, but evidence was also found that the deceased was actually buried, i.e. that the body was covered with earth soon after it was deposited in the pit. At the same time it was reported that four new bone fragments belonging to the "old man" were discovered and nine other bone fragments were recovered, which can probably be attributed to two Neanderthal children and one adult Neanderthal.

literature

  • Neil C. Tappen: The dentition of the “old man” of La Chapelle-aux-Saints and inferences concerning Neandertal behavior. In: American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Volume 67, No. 1, 1985, pp. 43-50, doi: 10.1002 / ajpa.1330670106
  • James E. Dawson and Erik Trinkaus : Vertebral Osteoarthritis of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 Neanderthal. In: Journal of Archaeological Science. Volume 24, No. 11, 1997, pp. 1015-1021, doi: 10.1006 / jasc.1996.0179
  • Erik Trinkaus: The postcranial dimensions of the La Chapelle-aux-saints 1 Neandertal. In: American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Volume 145, No. 3, 2011, pp. 461-468, doi: 10.1002 / ajpa.21528
  • Penny Spikins, Andy Needham, Lorna Tilley and Gail Hitchens: Calculated or caring? Neanderthal healthcare in social context. In: World Archeology. Online publication from February 22, 2018, doi: 10.1080 / 00438243.2018.1433060
  • Martin Haeusler, Erik Trinkaus et al .: Morphology, pathology, and the vertebral posture of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal. In: PNAS. Online advance publication of February 25, 2019, doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1820745116

Web links

Commons : La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Les Abbés A. et J. Bouyssonie et L. Bardon: Découverte d'un squelette humain moustérien à La Bouffia de la Chapelle-aux-Saints (Corrèze). In: L'Anthropologie. Volume 19, 1909, pp. 513-518, full text (PDF)
  2. ↑ Marcellin Boule : L'homme fossile de La Chapelle-aux-Saints. In: Annales de paleontologie. Volumes VI (pp. 111-172), VII (pp. 21-56; 85-192), VIII (pp. 1-70), 1911-1913. Masson, Paris 1913. Full text (PDF)
  3. ^ Rainer Grün and Chris Stringer : Electron Spin Resonance Dating and the Evolution of Modern Humans. In: Archaeometry. Volume 33, No. 2, 1991, pp. 153–199, doi: 10.1111 / j.1475-4754.1991.tb00696.x , full text (PDF)
  4. ^ Bernard Wood : Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Human Evolution. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, p. 428, ISBN 978-1-4051-5510-6 .
  5. ↑ a b Gerhard Bosinski : Graves and cemeteries. In: Elmar-Björn Krause (Ed.): The Neanderthals. Edition Archaea, Gelsenkirchen 1999, p. 63 f., ISBN 978-3-929439-76-2 .
  6. ↑ a b Ian Tattersall: Puzzle Incarnation. Spektrum Verlag, Heidelberg 1997, ISBN 3-8274-0140-2 , p. 65.
  7. ↑ a b Ralf. W. Schmitz and Jürgen Thissen: Neandertal - the story goes on. Spektrum Verlag, Heidelberg 2002, ISBN 3-8274-1345-1 , p. 110.
  8. ^ Lydia Pyne: The Old Man of La Chapelle: The Patriarch of Paleo. Chapter 1 in: Dies .: Seven Skeletons. The Evolution of the World's Most Famous Human Fossils. Viking, New York 2016, pp. 24-25, ISBN 978-0-525-42985-2
  9. ^ Friedemann Schrenk and Stephanie Müller: The Neanderthals. CH Beck, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-50873-1 , p. 77.
  10. ^ Winfried Henke : Appearance. In: Elmar-Björn Krause (Ed.): The Neanderthals. Edition Archaea, Gelsenkirchen 1999, ISBN 3-929439-76-X , p. 17 f.
  11. ^ Neil Tappen: The Dentition of the “Old Man” of La Chapelle-aux-Saints and Inferences Concerning Neanderthal Behavior. In: American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Volume 67, No. 1, 1985, pp. 43-50, doi: 10.1002 / ajpa.1330670106
  12. ↑ Ian Tattersall : Neanderthals. The dispute about our ancestors. Birkhäuser, Basel 1999, pp. 88–89, ISBN 3-7643-6051-8
  13. ↑ Lydia Pyne, The Old Man of La Chapelle , pp. 41-43.
  14. ↑ Steve Jones , Robert Martin, David Pilbeam and Sarah Bunney (Eds.): The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1992, p. 446, ISBN 0-521-32370-3
  15. ^ Lydia Pyne, The Old Man of La Chapelle , p. 37.
  16. ↑ William L. Straus, Jr., and AJE Cave: Pathology and the Posture of Neanderthal Man. In: The Quarterly Review of Biology. Volume 32, No. 4, 1957, pp. 348-363, doi: 10.1086 / 401979
  17. ↑ Erik Trinkaus : Pathology and posture of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal. In: American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Volume 67, No. 1, 1985, pp. 19-41, doi: 10.1002 / ajpa.1330670105
  18. ^ Herbert Ullrich: Care for the old and the sick. In: Elmar-Björn Krause (Ed.): The Neanderthals. Edition Archaea, Gelsenkirchen 1999, ISBN 3-929439-76-X , p. 121.
  19. ↑ Ian Tattersall, Neanderthals. The dispute about our ancestors, p. 167
  20. ↑ Ian Tattersall, Neanderthals. The dispute over our ancestors, p. 170
  21. ↑ Ralf. W. Schmitz and Jürgen Thissen: Neandertal - the story goes on. Spektrum Verlag, Heidelberg 2002, ISBN 3-8274-1345-1 , pp. 166 and 171.
  22. ^ William Rendu, Cédric Beauval, Isabelle Crevecoeur [...] and Bruno Maureille: Evidence supporting an intentional Neandertal burial at La Chapelle-aux-Saints. In: PNAS . Volume 111, No. 1, 2014, pp. 81–86, doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1316780110
    The riddle about the man named "LCS1". On: welt.de from January 20, 2014.