THE NEANDERTHALS
By Tim Lambert
Neanderthals and their place in history
It was once thought that Neanderthals were the ancestors of modern humans. However analysis of Neanderthal DNA has proved this is not so. Instead Neanderthals and modern humans are descended from a common ancestor who lived about 500,000 years ago. The Neanderthals had emerged in Europe and western Asia by 250,000 years ago. However modern humans appeared in Africa by 100,000 years ago. About 35,000 years ago they entered Europe. There is no evidence they deliberately killed the Neanderthals. However Neanderthals could not compete with more intelligent modern humans and they gradually became extinct. The last Neanderthals lived about 28,000 years ago.
Neanderthal burials
There is no evidence that the Neanderthals had any kind of religion. They did bury their dead under cave floors but they may simply have been a way of removing a nuisance that would attract predators. It doesn't necessarily mean they believed in an afterlife. It is true that bodies were found with animal bones on them or around them but it is not clear if they were placed there deliberately. The Neanderthals left clutters of flints and bones lying on the floors of their caves. In time they would be buried and forgotten. When the cave floor is excavated it might look as if a body was deliberately buried with bones on or around it.
One Neanderthal grave was found with flower pollen on it. That may mean the dead person was buried with flowers but it has been suggested the pollen was introduced by burrowing rodents.
Some dead Neanderthals were buried in the foetal position as if they were sleeping. However that may simply have been the easiest way to bury a body.
Unfortunately we do not for certain if the Neanderthals had spiritual beliefs of any kind.
Neanderthals appearance
Neanderthals looked different from modern humans. They were short and squat with thick bones and powerful muscles. The average male Neanderthal was 1.65 metres tall. The average female was slightly shorter. Neanderthals had barrel shaped chests with thick ribs.
Neanderthals had larger brains than modern humans (which does not mean they were more intelligent!). However Neanderthal skulls were longer and lower than modern human skulls. A Neanderthal skull was shaped rather like a loaf.
Furthermore Neanderthals had prominent brow bridges, much bigger than in modern humans. Also the Neanderthal face would look to us as if it had been pulled forward. They also had very large noses.
Neanderthal technology and art
Clearly the Neanderthals were not stupid. They must have been resourceful to survive in a very harsh and dangerous environment. Nevertheless Neanderthal technology was primitive. They made simple tools of wood, stone and antler. Using spears they hunted reindeer, horses, red deer and bison. They also sometimes ate mammoth and woolly rhinoceros.
The Neanderthals made simple clothes from animal skins. They used stone borers to make holes in the edges of skins and threaded leather thongs through.
Moreover evidence of Neanderthal art is very meagre. In 1996 a bone was found with holes in it. At first it looked like a Neanderthal flute but some people dispute this. They think an animal chewed the bone and the holes are tooth marks. So far no other evidence of Neanderthal musical instruments has been found.
In 2003 a stone was found that looks like a very crude carving of a human face. Furthermore animal teeth and shells with holes have been found and it is believed they were pendants. However the pendants were made by the very late Neanderthals and they may have just been imitating modern humans who had entered Europe by then.
To read about Homo erectus click here.