Neanderthal Technology
Read Neanderthal Technology and check the IELTS Reading answers. We think of our prehistoric ancestors as people of the ice and snow, living in caves, and for many of the west European Neanderthalers that is a just picture of their life. But where there were no caves, further to the east on the Rus…
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We think of our prehistoric ancestors as people of the ice and snow, living in caves, and for many of the west European Neanderthalers that is a just picture of their life. But where there were no caves, further to the east on the Russian steppe, for example, open-air sites with some sort of constructed shelter were the only option. We now know much more about the cave sites than the open-air ones because, historically, it was the cave sites of Western Europe that were first explored by archaeologists and also because open-air sites are harder to find – many of them have disappeared under deep mud deposits or under the rising postglacial seas. Caves, moreover, aid the survival of archaeological material and can preserve the records of remote millennia.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- benign adjective
Gentle and favourable, here a climate mild enough to support humans and animals.
The region's benign climate allowed farmers to harvest two crops annually.
- erosion noun
The gradual wearing away of soil or rock by wind, water or ice.
Coastal erosion has swept away several ancient burial grounds.
- excavator noun
An archaeologist who digs up and records buried remains at a site.
The excavator recorded each fragment before moving it from the trench.
- hearth noun
A specially built place for a fire, harder to identify than simple ash piles.
Archaeologists uncovered a stone hearth at the centre of the dwelling.
- hypothesised adjective
Proposed as a possible explanation without being confirmed, such as the skin tents in the cave.
Researchers examined the hypothesised migration route using ancient genetic samples from burial sites.
- mollusc noun
A soft-bodied invertebrate such as a snail or clam, often with a hard shell.
Fossilised molluscs revealed that the inland basin was once covered by sea.
- pelt noun
The skin of an animal with its fur or hair still attached, used as covering.
Traders exchanged tools for beaver pelts at the riverside market.
- postglacial adjective
Occurring after an ice age, when melting ice caused sea levels to rise and cover sites.
Postglacial flooding submerged many early coastal settlements along the continental shelf.
- sedimentation noun
The process by which particles settle and accumulate in layers, helping preserve archaeological material.
Rapid sedimentation buried the settlement and protected it from later damage.
- steppe noun
A vast, flat, treeless grassland, as found in Russia, where open-air Neanderthal sites exist.
Nomadic herders crossed the steppe with their livestock each summer.
- testify to verb
To serve as evidence for something, such as the use of fire at ancient sites.
The charred bones testify to a communal feast held centuries ago.
- tundra noun
A cold, treeless region with frozen subsoil, which expanded across the plateaux during the ice age.
Thawing permafrost is transforming large areas of the Arctic tundra.
Answers with explanations
- 27. v
Paragraph A discusses **open-air sites** versus **cave sites**, explaining why we know more about one than the other. The heading 'Contrasting two types of home' fits this comparison.
- 28. iii
Paragraph B describes the Périgord region as an **exceptionally benign habitat** (benign means kind/favorable) with protection, sunshine, and food. This matches the heading 'A perfect place to live'.
- 29. i
Paragraph C focuses on **open-air sites** (outdoor) like Moldova, describing remains of **structures** and **tents**. This matches the heading 'Evidence of outdoor dwellings'.
- 30. iv
Paragraph D details specific items found **inside the caves** (Grotte du Lazaret), such as bones, skins, and shells used for bedding. This matches the heading 'Examining the cave contents'.
- 31. vi
Paragraph E discusses the use and importance of **fire** for survival, warmth, and defence. This matches the heading 'A vital source of power'.
- 32. E
The finding is **a burnt piece of wood**. Scan for fire-related words and the paragraph on Neanderthal fire use. The text mentions a **charred piece of birch** from **Krapina** in Croatia, thought to be a fire-making twirl stick. Charred paraphrases burnt and birch is a kind of wood, so the finding matches Krapina. Other sites in the list are linked to ash, tents or cobbles, not to a surviving piece of wood.
- 33. D
The finding is **evidence of efforts to prevent pools of water forming**. The paragraph on west European caves describes the cave of **Baume-Bonne**, with ten square metres of **cobbles** laid down "as though to take care of a **puddle** area". Puddle area links to pools of water, and laying cobbles shows deliberate effort. Moldova and Lazaret are described with other features, so Baume-Bonne is the only match.
- 34. C
The finding is **the remains of sea creatures**. Look for marine vocabulary in the descriptions of sites. At the **Grotte du Lazaret**, the two ash patches marking ancient fires are edged with small **marine mollusc shells**. Mollusc shells are the remains of sea creatures, and the excavator even suggested seaweed bedding. No other place in the list is linked to shells, so the answer is Lazaret.
- 35. B
The finding is **a circular arrangement of animal bones**. The paragraph on open-air sites mentions **Moldova**, where evidence has been read as wind-break structures or **a large tent-ring**, about 8 x 5m, made of mainly **mammoth bones**. Tent-ring paraphrases circular arrangement, and mammoth bones are animal bones. Lazaret also has a tent theory, but it is based on large stones and not on bones, so Moldova is correct.
- 36. C
The finding is **evidence suggesting the use of animal fur for warmth**. Look for fur-related words such as pelts. At the **Grotte du Lazaret**, finds of **wolf and fox foot bones**, without the rest of the skeletons, inside the supposed tents have been thought to show the use of **animal pelts** as **bed coverings**. Pelts paraphrases fur and bed coverings suggests warmth. The same site gave the shells in the previous question, which is allowed because letters can repeat.
- 37. sub-arctic
The summary mentions the conditions were ____. The text states survival was inconceivable without fire because of the **sub-arctic conditions**. The word 'sub-arctic' fits the gap.
- 38. short
The summary asks about the duration of the fires. The text states the fire was only of a **short duration**. The word 'short' fits the gap.
- 39. ["animals","predatory animals"]
The summary mentions protection from dangerous ____. The text lists 'defence against **predatory animals**'. 'Predatory' means dangerous/hunting. The answer 'animals' (or 'predatory animals') fits grammatically and contextually.
- 40. C
The article surveys different types of sites (caves, open-air), structures, and findings (fire, tools) to provide an overview of Neanderthal life. This aligns with **discussing what is known about Neanderthal settlements** (Option C).