In 2015, a bone said to come from the the left leg of the Spanish imperial eagle, was discovered in by researchers inside the Foradada Cave in Spain.
Using 3D computer modelling to analyse the cut marks on the talon, researchers discovered deep marks on the artefact, suggesting "anthropic manipulation" - i.e. those made by ancient humans with a tool, suggesting Neanderthals used eagle talons for more than just practical reasons.
Some archaeologists have argued that Neanderthals did not have symbolic culture until modern humans introduced it to them after migrating into Europe.
But according to the authors of a study published in the Science Advances journal, this finding adds to the growing evidence of sophistication within this species.
Past research even suggests that these ancient humans may have used seashells as beads to convey ideas such as social status or rank with symbolic objects.
Eagle talons have previously been found at Neanderthal sites across Europe, the oldest of which were found in Croatia and date back to around 130,000 years ago; these Croatian talons are now regarded as the earliest known symbolic Neanderthal artefact.
As the age of the toe bone coincides with the moment when Neanderthals came into contact with modern humans from Africa around 40,000 years ago, Antonio Rodriguez-Hidalgo, a researcher at the Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA) in Madrid believed the talon may have featured in "the last necklace made by the Neanderthals".
Juan Ignacio Morales, a researcher at the University of Barcelona and one of the study authors, goes as far as to say that the use of eagle claws as ornaments "could have been a cultural transmission from the Neanderthals to modern humans, who adopted this practice after reaching Europe".
