P200 Introduction to Prehistoric Archaeology

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Neanderthals: last of the archaic Homo sapiens

The last of the archaic populations of Homo lived in W. Europe, E. Europe and Near East after 200,000bp,surviving until at least 32,000 bp (the youngest date associated with a neanderthal fossil). Examples of sitesdiscussed in text and lecture/video: Gibralter, La Ferrassie, Shanidar, Kebara. There is a current,unresolved debate about whether neanderthals were human enough to be included in our own species (Homo sapiens neandertalensis) or put into their own species (Homo neanderthalensis).Their anatomy suggests that they were directdescendents of earlier populations that lived at sites such as Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos, in Spain, or the site of Arago Cave, in France.

Anatomical traits:

  • robust, muscular bodies
  • thick bones (many show physical injuries)
  • distinct features on skull (brow ridge, occipital bun, overall shape)
  • prominent faces, large nose, heavily worn front teeth
  • vocal anatomy debate: basicranium suggests neanderthals could only produce limited range of sounds, but hyoid bone from Kebara skeleton looks like modern human
  • very big brains (1400-1750cc)

Genetic question: recent DNA testing of ancient DNA extracted from a neanderthal bone has shown a large number of differences from modern humans, at least at one genetic locus, suggesting to the authors that neanderthals would have been a distinct species that last shared a common ancestor with modern humans >600,000 years ago.


 

Cultural Questions:

 

Because they had relative brain sizes just as large, or larger than any modern human, it is interesting to ask how intelligent their behavior was... e.g. how skilled the neanderthals were technologically, or if they had complex social behaviors, or sophisticated cultural traditions. The traditional brutish images of neanderthals were based on poor reconstructions by Marcelin Boule.


  • deliberate burial of some dead (e.g. Kebara, Shanidar)
  • survival of crippled individuals suggests altruistic care (e.g. Shanidar)
  • adapted to tough environmental conditions in W Europe
  • associated with Mousterian technology
  • tools like scrapers and points made by retouching flakes
  • Levallois core technology... a "mental template" (design) to produce "designer flakes"
  • hafting flake tools onto handles or shafts
  • ritual? no art, but possible bone flute found (site in Yugoslavia)
  • evidence for hunting and land-use

 

Kebara Cave, Israel:
Neanderthal burial (symbolic behavior?)
Thermoluminescence dates ~ 60,000 bp
Long sequence of Middle Paleolithic technology: little change through time
Hearths suggest repeated occupation
Subsistence: effective hunters, coping with changing environment (see faunal chart)

WWW links to descriptions and images of neanderthal Fossils and Archaeology:

Want to dig at a neanderthal site in France? Look here for opportunities>

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Last updated: 15 February, 1999
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~origins/teach/p200/xxx.html
Comments: sept@indiana.edu
Copyright Jeanne Sept 1998 : do not cite without permission