Did Neanderthals use rhinoceros teeth as tools?

At the Payre site in southeastern France, nestled among ancient stone tools and animal bones, a quiet revelation has emerged from the fossil record: Neanderthals may have wielded rhinoceros teeth as implements more than 200,000 years ago. This discovery, drawn from meticulous analysis of over 400 rhinoceros teeth, challenges long-held assumptions about Neanderthal ingenuity and their relationship with the massive creatures that once roamed Ice Age Europe. At a time when mammoths dominate our imagination of prehistoric life, the humble rhinoceros tooth is now stepping into the spotlight as a potential tool of early human innovation.

The clues lie in unusual fractures and wear patterns on fossil molars—marks that don’t align with natural decay or chewing. Researchers, led by an international team under the RINO project, set out to answer a deceptively simple question: Could these traces be the result of deliberate human use? To find out, they combined forensic-level dental microwear analysis with hands-on experimental archaeology, using modern rhinoceros teeth sourced through rare donations—including from Peaugres Safari Park, where Dr. Benjamin Drouet prepared a white rhino skull for study.

The team examined 168 fossil teeth from Pleistocene sites like Wasserbillig in Luxembourg and Cova del Rinoceront in Spain, alongside 236 modern teeth from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. They then conducted controlled experiments, striking stone and bone with rhinoceros molars to replicate potential tool use. The results were telling: the experimental marks closely matched those found on the ancient fossils—particularly on teeth from the Payre site, dating between 250,000 and 130,000 years ago. The size, weight, and flat grinding surface of rhinoceros molars made them surprisingly ergonomic for percussion tasks.

This is the first interdisciplinary study to systematically test the hypothesis that Neanderthals used rhinoceros teeth as tools, published in the Journal of Human Evolution. While rhinoceros remains have long been found at Paleolithic sites—from France to China—their role beyond food has remained speculative. Now, evidence suggests Neanderthals didn’t just hunt these beasts; they repurposed their remains with intentionality.

The implications ripple beyond tool use. They point to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Neanderthal behavior—one that includes resourcefulness, adaptability, and a practical grasp of material properties. As research expands to other sites, these fossil teeth may yet reveal more about how our ancient relatives lived, worked, and survived in a world of giants.