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La Ferrassie skeletons
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Skull of an adult male Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis), from the La Ferrassie anthropological site in the Dordogne region of France.
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La Ferrassie skeletons

human fossils
Also known as: La Ferassie skeletons
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Skull of an adult male Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis), from the La Ferrassie anthropological site in the Dordogne region of France.
Skull of an adult male Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis), from the La Ferrassie anthropological site in the Dordogne region of France.

The La Ferrassie site in France is a significant paleoanthropological location where Neanderthal fossils were discovered between 1909 and 1921. The remains include eight skeletons, such as an adult male, a female, children, and infants, dating back approximately 50,000 years to the Middle Paleolithic Period. These fossils exhibit classic Neanderthal characteristics, including a large brow and a protruding midface. Crucially, the intentional burial of these individuals suggests that Neanderthals practiced complex rituals and showed care for their dead. The La Ferrassie skeletons are housed in the Museum of Man in Paris.1

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. La Ferrassie
  2. La Chapelle-aux-Saints
  3. Le Moustier

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