Previously, the word "Neandertal" conjured up an image of a population of short, hairy people somewhere between man and ape... the classic "caveman" character. However they are much more modern and intelligent than many give them credit for. Given recent evidence, other than living conditions and technology, at the heart of it, Neandertals are not so different than you and I. They made homes for themselves, cared for each other, cooked food, enjoyed art and music, were capable of speech and and had deep emotions.

I believe Neandertals were early humans. They are certainly similar enough to today's humans to justify that belief. They may have had difficult physical characteristics, but only because of their "adaptation to the cold" (1). Besides, modern humans do not all look the same, do they? Physical variety is quality in the human species.

A look at the vast number of museums standing today will show you how much humans love art. Surprisingly, Neandertals created art. "In Australia's Northern Territory, used blocks of red and yellow ochre and ground hematite have been found in occupation layers at rock shelters dating to around 60,000 years ago" (1), showing that Neandertals painted, and the "Upper Paleolithic Chatelperronian Tool Industry, which is attributed to the Neandertal populations, includes carved and grooved fox and deer teeth, modified bird bones, shaped and decorated beads" (1) providing evidence of crafts in Neandertals. Neandertals also enjoyed music as evidenced "by the discovery of a flute made of bone.... found at a site in Eastern Europe and dated to between 82 and 43 ky" (1).

Okay, maybe having the same interests doesn't mean Neandertals ARE humans, just that they are LIKE modern humans. But what about genetic evidence? Neandertal's "genes were passed on and have been found within the DNA of some people today. Between 1% and 4% of the genes in people of European descent and some of Asian descent were inherited from the Neandertals" (1). Does this mean those modern humans are Neandertals or does it mean that Neandertals were human? Bottom line, "Neandertals are part of the ancestry of modern humans" (1).

Neandertals had families just like modern humans, and they cared about each other. There is even evidence that Neandertals mourned: "one of the oldest human burials found was at Apidima in Greece, a site dated to between 300 -100 ky, but probably around 250 ky" (1).At "Shanidar cave in the Zagros mountains of Iraq" (1), Neandertal burial sites have been found. These "graves may have been covered with flowers" (1) a tradition that lives on at burials today. This site also provides "evidence of personal care from others" (1) among Neandertals, as there are bodies with amputations and other medical problems or injuries that would have made it impossible to survive on one's own.

1 - Unit VII: Lecture 2