Neanderthal

An amazing report by David, Anthony, William, and Thomas

Introduction

Welcome to the amazing world of the Neanderthal people. We welcome you to discover many facts about the Neanderthals, such as their food, clothes, religions, where they lived, and so on! So prepare for this journey because it starts in 3…2…1!!!

Dates and Places of Existence

The Neanderthals existed 250,000 years ago. They lived for about 40,000 to 100,000 years. Neanderthals were mostly located in the forests of Germany and Asia during the ice age.[1]

Description of Physical Appearance

• The Neanderthals only lived to be around forty years old, and due to diseases like arthritis or lack of nourishment.

• Their lower flat heads that were different then modern humans.

• They were one of the most advanced species of humans. [2]

Places of Shelter

• The Neanderthal people made shelters out of animal hides, leaves, and wooly mammoth bones. So, they were the first species to make sophisticated shelters, while other earlier human groups would just climb into a cave and live there.

• They would also live in caves if they didn’t have the materials to make shelters.[3]

Food

• The Neanderthal people lived off animals like wooly mammoths, and scientists believe they may have been the first human species to hunt instead of scavenge dead flesh from the other animals.

• Because of food shortages, they were unnourished, mostly because they wouldn’t follow the herds of animals to hunt them so they had limited hunting grounds.[4]

Description of Daily Lifeife

Neanderthals spent most of their time hunting and gathering food. They hunted and gathered food more than they spent time with their families. Neanderthals spent weeks at a time hunting and gathering food. The men did the hunting, while the women gathered roots and berries. [5]

Tools

Neanderthals made tools out of stone, wood, bones, and other resources. They made weapons and tools mostly for hunting. Other tools they had were for preparing animal hides to be made for clothes or covers for huts.[6]

Neanderthals used two rocks and/or twigs to start fires. They hit the two rocks to generate sparks that would create fire over wood and dried grass. They would use these fires to cook food and on torches to lure deer off of cliffs. They also used the fire for light and heat. [7]

Religion

The Neanderthal must have believed in afterlife because they would bury the deceased with tools, food, and flowers. They were also believed to have cannibalistic rituals. However, they spent a lot of time working so there was almost no time for rituals. [8]

Language

Scientists thought that Neanderthals couldn’t talk, until 1983, when a Neanderthal hyoid bone, the bone that allows you to create speech, was discovered. However, there is no other proof that they had a spoken language. So, we have no way of knowing for certain whether or not Neanderthals had a language or way of communication.[9]

Other Interesting Facts• Neanderthals were one of the most advanced

species of humans.• Scientists argue about what the Neanderthal

people would be called, Homo Neanderthalensis or Homo Sapiens Neanderthalsis. In the end, Homo Neanderthalensis was chosen, taking away the “wise” portion of the name.

• They had a disease called Hypoplastic diseases what is a form of dental diseases.[10]

Conclusion

As you can see, the Neanderthal people were one of the most interesting and successful species of early humans before homo sapiens arrived on the scene. Neanderthals had sophisticated tools, shelter, and clothing, and they may have had language and communicated with others.

Questions

• What does “sapiens” mean?

• What happened to Neanderthals?

• What meat besides woolly mammoths did Neanderthals eat?

Answers

• “Sapiens” means wise.

• The Neanderthals became extinct because they were replaced by Homo Sapiens who were better able to adapt to changes in the environment.

• Besides wooly mammoths, Neanderthals ate giant deer that also inhabited their environment.

Endnotes1. “Neanderthal,” Neanderthal, http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. California Vistas Ancient Civilizations, Macmillan McGraw-Hill, NY, 2007, pp. 82-83.

5. Ibid.

6. Kearns, Marsha,“Neanderthal,” Early Humans, Creative Teaching Press: CA, 1993, pp. 143-144.

7. Ibid.

8. “Neanderthal,” Neanderthal, http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org.

9. Ibid.

10. Kearns, Marsha,“Neanderthal,” Early Humans, pp. 143-144.

Bibliography

California Visits Ancient Civilizations. Macmillan/McGraw Hill: New York, NY, 2007.

Kearns, Marsha.“Neanderthal.” Early Humans. Creative Teaching Press: CA, 1993.

“Neanderthal.” Neanderthal. http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/.