Neanderthal Hideworking

Jean-Luc's research focussed on using material culture and experimental archaeology to examine the Middle Palaeolithic period, discussing Neanderthal crafting activities and how these can be used to better understand both the species as a whole, and their lives as individuals within a society.

Jean-Luc's Masters by Research project explored both direct, and indirect evidence of Neanderthal craft, with an emphasis on hide-working and clothing production. Artefacts from the archaeological record were explored in relation to crafting processes, supported by a consideration of ethnography.

Crafting activities are a vital aspect of non-industrialised societies, representing a significant proportion of work in people’s day to day lives, and are essential in producing the objects they use. Therefore, through better understanding the crafts of Neanderthals, we gain an insight into things such as how they may have organised their societies, passed skills between generations, and also how they interacted with a variety of different materials from the environment.