Early Humans Homo Neanderthalensis
Neandertals:
Pre-Moderns
500,000 B.C.E. to 30,000 B.C.E.
One of the species of early humans that also lived during the stone age was Homo Neanderthalensis, or Neandertal man. Neandertal man was named after the Neander valley in Germany where the skeleton of an old man was discovered in the mid-1800s.
Did Neandertals settle down and grow crops?
Is it Neandertal or Neanderthal? That’s easy! This early human was named after the valley in which the first skeletal remains were found, Neander Tal. Saying Neanderthal is not wrong, however. What’s important to know is that it’s the same early human, no matter which of these two spellings you choose to use. After all, it’s only a nickname. This early human’s real name is: Homo Neanderthalensis
Pre-Moderns
500,000 B.C.E. to 30,000 B.C.E.
One of the species of early humans that also lived during the stone age was Homo Neanderthalensis, or Neandertal man. Neandertal man was named after the Neander valley in Germany where the skeleton of an old man was discovered in the mid-1800s.
Did Neandertals settle down and grow crops?
Is it Neandertal or Neanderthal? That’s easy! This early human was named after the valley in which the first skeletal remains were found, Neander Tal. Saying Neanderthal is not wrong, however. What’s important to know is that it’s the same early human, no matter which of these two spellings you choose to use. After all, it’s only a nickname. This early human’s real name is: Homo Neanderthalensis
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What evidence led scientists to the mistaken belief that Neandertals were dim-witted brutes?
From fossils, scientists have discovered that these early humans had skeletons shaped like ours are today. Homo sapien skulls grew more forward than those of Homo erectus, which left room for more brain to develop. These early humans were hunters-gatherers. Neandertals created stone tools, bone needles, and bone fish hooks. They sewed clothes from animal skins with thread made from other parts of the animal. They made warm boots. In the beginning, scientists believed Neandertals were dim-witted brutes with clubs and beast-like features, who walked with bent knees and shambling gaits, with heads slung forward on their big squat necks. These were the ancestors nobody wanted! It was the stuff of horror movies, and just as fictional! Scientists had to rethink a bit when it was later discovered that this old man was suffering from disfiguring arthritis! Thus, this skeleton, the Neandertal man, was not misshapen because of his species; he was misshapen because he had a disease that bent and crippled his bones! |
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Why do scientists think Neandertals had religious beliefs?
Still, Neandertals were different from other species of early humans. They were much taller, and very strong. They had an almost modern mentality. Their brains were actually larger than ours are today. (That doesn’t mean anything, really. The size of your brain doesn’t necessarily make you smarter. However, the Neandertals do seem to have been very advanced for their time!) They were marvelous hunters. They often used caves as their homes. They were adept at fire making, and probably cooked their food routinely.
They buried their dead with ceremony, which suggests they may have had religious beliefs. Discoveries of Neandertal grave sites show that they decorated their bodies with paint, possibly for religious reasons, or perhaps for beauty. These sites provide the first evidence of the use of color, and suggest the Neandertals were the first to think about the possibility of an afterlife.
The Neandertals died out around 30,000 BCE. One theory is that they were killed off by some species of Homo sapien, but there is no evidence of this. Another theory is that they married into other groups, and that over time, they ceased to exist as a separate species. But these are just theories.
Nobody knows why these people disappeared. Considering how smart they were, and how advanced for their time, it’s an especially fascinating puzzle!
Still, Neandertals were different from other species of early humans. They were much taller, and very strong. They had an almost modern mentality. Their brains were actually larger than ours are today. (That doesn’t mean anything, really. The size of your brain doesn’t necessarily make you smarter. However, the Neandertals do seem to have been very advanced for their time!) They were marvelous hunters. They often used caves as their homes. They were adept at fire making, and probably cooked their food routinely.
They buried their dead with ceremony, which suggests they may have had religious beliefs. Discoveries of Neandertal grave sites show that they decorated their bodies with paint, possibly for religious reasons, or perhaps for beauty. These sites provide the first evidence of the use of color, and suggest the Neandertals were the first to think about the possibility of an afterlife.
The Neandertals died out around 30,000 BCE. One theory is that they were killed off by some species of Homo sapien, but there is no evidence of this. Another theory is that they married into other groups, and that over time, they ceased to exist as a separate species. But these are just theories.
Nobody knows why these people disappeared. Considering how smart they were, and how advanced for their time, it’s an especially fascinating puzzle!
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Activity: For this lesson, please complete the 5th row of the Early Humans Comparison Chart that you began at the start of this unit.