Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 19 March 2026
Neanderthal 'fat factory' at Neumark-Nord reveals 125,000-year-old organised bone-grease production.
Exam-focused facts from the 19 March 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- A study in Science Advances reports Neanderthals operated a lakeside 'fat factory' at Neumark-Nord near Leipzig, Germany, 125,000 years ago.
- Leiden University researchers identified processing of at least 172 mammals including deer, horses, and aurochs at the site.
- Inhabitants broke bones, crushed them into thousands of fragments, and heated the fragments in water to extract calorie-rich bone grease.