First discoveries

The first Neanderthal ever discovered was the Engis child from Belgium in 1829. The second discovered was the Forbes Quarry find from Gibralter in 1848. However, scientists had thought these bones came from modern humans.^[source?]

In August 1856, a worker found parts of a Neanderthal skeleton in a limestone quarry near Düsseldorf, in the Neander Valley of Germany. They first discovered a skull cap, followed by two femurs, five arm bones, part of the left pelvis, and fragments of a shoulder blade and ribs.^[source?]

This time, scientists recognized that the bones belonged to a new species. Experts Johann Carl Fuhlrott and Hermann Schaaffhausen announced that the bones belonged to an older form of humans. It became known as Neanderthal 1.

Later discoveries

Neanderthal remains have been found in most of Europe south of land covered by ice, including the south coast of Great Britain. Finds have also been made outside of Europe in the Zagros Mountains and in the Levant.

Brain size

The size of the Neanderthal brain shows that Neanderthals were probably intelligent. On average, they had larger brains than modern humans.^[5]

Large brains have their disadvantages. They use lots of energy,^[6] make the skull more likely to be damaged, and cause difficulties during birth. However, Neanderthals' large brains may have brought them many advantages, like better problem-solving, better social co-operation, language, and tool-making.

Tool use & art

Neanderthal flint tools (for example, hand axes) were more finely made than those of early man. They were much less varied and finely made than the neolithic tools of modern man.

Neanderthals did cave paintings and used shells as decorations.^[7] However, known Neanderthal art is much less complex than contemporary art from H. sapiens.^[8]

The Divje Babe flute

The oldest flute ever discovered may be the so-called Divje Babe flute, found in the Slovenian cave Divje Babe I in 1995. It is about 43,100 years old.^[9][10][11] It is from a juvenile cave bear femur at the Divje Babe archaeological site, near a Mousterian hearth. Archaeologists ask two key questions:

Is it a flute? This has been discussed at length.^{[12][13][14][15]} The best summary is that it is certainly possible for it to be a flute, but it is unproved (not certain).

If it is a flute, was it made by Neanderthals? Again, this is not decided. It is on public display as a flute in the National Museum of Slovenia (Narodni Muzej Slovenije) in Ljubljana. The museum's visitor leaflet says that manufacture by Neanderthals "is reliably proven".^[16] This is not a general view, and again it is best to describe the idea as "not proven".^[13][17][18]

Capacity for speech

For a long time, people have wondered whether Neanderthals could talk. Many people believe they could, because their large brain size would be hard to understand if they could not.

The discovery of an undamaged Neanderthal hyoid bone supported the idea that Neanderthals could talk. That is because, in modern humans, the hyoid is a support for the voice box. Also, computer analysis has shown that the Neanderthal hyoid was very similar to human hyoids.^[19] Researchers say "our findings are consistent with a capacity for speech in the Neanderthals".^[20]

Care for others

In Shanidar Cave, archaeologists found a skeleton of a man with "a disabled arm, deafness and head trauma that likely rendered him partially blind."^[7] Still, the skeleton showed that the man had lived a long life.^[7] This suggests that his community had cared for him even though he could not hunt.

In 1908 in La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France, scientists found parts of a 50,000-year-old skeleton.^[21] According to the Australian Museum:^[21]

This male individual had lost most of his teeth and his skeleton showed evidence of major injuries and disease including a healed broken hip, and arthritis of the lower neck, back, hip and shoulders. He survived for quite some time with these complaints, which indicates that these people cared for the sick and elderly.

Burial

Neanderthals buried their dead, mostly in caves.^[22][23][24] Some evidence suggests that they used burial rituals.^[7][25]

Young Neanderthals

Since 2007, scientists have been able to calculate tooth age using noninvasive imaging of growth patterns in tooth enamel by using x-ray synchrotron microtomography.^[28]

This research suggests that Neanderthal children physically developed much more quickly than modern human children.^[29] This difference may have existed between the two species as far back as 160,000 years before present, according to an x-ray synchrotron microtomography study of early H. sapiens.^[30]

Fractures

Neanderthals seemed to suffer a high frequency of bone fractures. Their skeletons show injuries that look like the ones that modern rodeo professionals get. This shows that Neanderthals had frequent contact with large, combative mammals. The fractures suggest they may have hunted by leaping onto their prey and stabbing or even wrestling it to the ground.^[31]