Did Neanderthals make jewelry?

[tonychanyt]

Dr Fazale Rana spoke about the Neanderthals:

The claims that they make art [and] they made jewelry … are unsubstantiated claims.

Four scientists thought the opposite and published their research paper "Evidence for Neandertal jewelry" in PubMed:

We describe eight, mostly complete white-tailed eagle (Haliaëtus [Haliaeetus] albicilla) talons from the Krapina Neandertal site in present-day Croatia, dating to approximately 130 kyrs ago. Four talons bear multiple, edge-smoothed cut marks; eight show polishing facets and/or abrasion. Three of the largest talons have small notches at roughly the same place along the plantar surface, interrupting the proximal margin of the talon blade. These features suggest they were part of a jewelry assemblage, --- the manipulations a consequence of mounting the talons in a necklace or bracelet. An associated phalanx articulates with one of the talons and has numerous cut marks, some of which are smoothed. These white-tailed eagle bones, discovered more than 100 years ago, all derive from a single level at Krapina and represent more talons than found in the entire European Mousterian period. Presence of eight talons indicates that the Krapina Neandertals acquired and curated eagle talons for some kind of symbolic purpose. Some have argued that Neandertals lacked symbolic ability or copied this behavior from modern humans. These remains clearly show that the Krapina Neandertals made jewelry well before the appearance of modern humans in Europe, extending ornament production and symbolic activity early into the European Mousterian.

Similarly, Smithsonian Magazine:

Artifacts pulled from a cave over a century ago demonstrate not only Neanderthal’s bold fashion choicces, but also their likely ability revere symbols and plan ahead.

Contrary to what Rana said, I'd say that there is substantiated evidence that Neanderthals made jewelry.
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Archeology Magazine:

 

[Ophiolite]

There are also decorated shells found at Spanish sites, as well as traces of pigments that may have been used for body decoration. Placement of bodies and items in graves in a systematic fashion suggest they had the cognitive ability for symbolic thinking, a likely necessary precursor for the adoption of jewelery.
While it is reasonable and necessary that such claims are challenged, some challenges give the appearance of being based upon a bias against the idea that Neandertals were perhaps just as smart as homo sapiens.

 

[AV1611VET]

Yes, I would assume Neanderthals made jewelry.

But for the record, I don't view Neanderthals as scientists do.

 

[Grafted In]

Is this tied into monkeys in the wild spinning from grapevines?