UK and Belgian scientists have discovered the earliest form of a prehistoric multi-tool ‘Swiss Army Knife’ – made from cave lion bones. Scientists in Liverpool and Belgium say 130,000 year-old lion bones found in Scladina Cave in Andenne, near Liege, suggest Neanderthals used the remains of the big cats to make tools.
The bones were “intentionally shaped”, making them a unique global find. They were initially discovered in the 1980s but scientific advances have now enabled researchers to link these tools to the cave lion. Archaeologist Dr Grégory Abrams at the Scladina Cave excavation led the study with Kevin Di Modica and Professor Isabelle de Groote, of Liverpool John Moores University’s (LJMU) School of Biological and Environmental Sciences.
The fragments of lion tibia were first used as a chisel or intermediate tool – but then repurposed as retouchers for the production or maintenance of flint tools so became a multi-tool.
Dr Grégory Abrams explained: “This is the oldest known evidence of lion bones being transformed into tools by Neanderthals.
“It demonstrates their adaptability, their deep knowledge of bone materials and mechanical properties, and a behavioural complexity that remains underestimated.”
This suggestion was based on surface striations that still contain residue from materials with which the tools came into contact.
It was already known that Neanderthals made tools from animal bones, but it had never before been demonstrated that they used the carcass of the cave lion, the biggest predator of that era, Kévin Di Modica, deputy director of the Scladina Cave Archaeological Centre, explained.
Archaeologists were intrigued by multiple intentional markings carved into the lion bones and determined that the tibia featured four separate tools, as well as signs of repurposing.
They theorised that some of the tools were initially utilized for jobs like chiselling – but later, Neanderthal artisans broke the bone and reused it for crafting flint tools—a process known as retouching.
The study’s authors noted in Scientific Reports: “Previous studies highlighted Neanderthals’ skinning and butchering of cave lions, yet new discoveries at Scladina Cave (Belgium) offer deeper insights into this relationship.
“Dated to the end of the Saalian, the faunal assemblage provides the earliest evidence of bone tools crafted from cave lion remains.
“A tibia was deliberately processed into multifunctional tools, initially serving as an intermediate tool before being repurposed as retouchers.
“Proteomic analysis applied on the remains, confirmed the specific identification. These findings reveal that Neanderthals not only competed with but actively utilized cave lions for practical purposes, indicating complex ecological and behavioural interactions.
“The intentional transformation of lion bones into functional tools highlights Neanderthals’ cognitive skills, adaptability, and capacity for resource utilization beyond their immediate survival needs.”
In addition to being completely unique, these artefacts reflect a previously unknown type of relationship between Neanderthals and large predators.
While the cave lion is typically seen as an ecological competitor, this study shows that Neanderthals were not only capable of defending themselves or even hunting it, but also of strategically exploiting its remains—going well beyond mere survival.
LJMU’s Professor Isabelle De Groote, co-author of the study, added: “These tools reflect a structured operational sequence and a deliberate selection of raw materials.
“The cave lion was not just a threat or a symbol—it was also a valuable resource.”
Created in the 1880s at the request of the Swiss Army, the now famous ‘Swiss Army Knife’ was not the first multi-use pocket knife.
In 1851 in his iconic novel ‘Moby-Dick’, writer Herman Melville mentions the “Sheffield contrivances, assuming the exterior – though a little swelled – of a common pocket knife; but containing, not only blades of various sizes, but also screwdrivers, cork-screws, tweezers, bradawls, pens, rulers, nail files and countersinkers.”
Neanderthals were a distinct species of human, called Homo neanderthalensis that lived from about 400,000 to 40,000 years ago across Europe and southwest and central Asia.
Some humans are believed to have inherited around 2% Neanderthal DNA.
