Ancient wooden tools discovered at Abric Romaní, a rock shelter in Spain, show that Neanderthals were skilled at working with wood. Archaeologists, who study objects from the past, recorded nearly 600 wooden objects or their imprints—the marks they left behind. Thirteen were clearly shaped by human hands.
Wood usually breaks down quickly, but conditions at this site helped preserve the finds. Flooding occurred from time to time, and minerals in the water helped protect the wooden objects. These conditions allowed signs of ancient woodworking to survive, including objects that people had deliberately shaped.
