NEANDERTHAL LIVING

Why our prehistoric cousins were pioneers, not clueless apes

- SCOTT DUTFIELD

Boasting prominent brows, muscular frames and wielding deadly spears, Neanderthals were not unlike the prehistoric ancestors of modernday humans. Our hominid cousins have been long lost to time, but fossilised evidence left behind has allowed scientists to bring their story to life. Scientists have placed the emergence of the Neanderthals at least as far back as 430,000 years ago. However, the majority of Neanderthal bones and artefacts date to between 130,000 and 40,000 years ago. Evidence for their existence has been found throughout Eurasia, from Portugal to the eastern Altai Mountains in Siberia.

Neanderthals are thought to have lived in groups of around 20, but throughout Eurasia there were as many as 10,000 individuals at one time. Groups could be up to 100 miles away from each other, which made finding a partner outside of their small tribe difficult. As a group of fairly hairless and exposed hominids, Neanderthals sought the security of caves for warmth and protection. The Neanderthal 'caveman' enjoyed simple facilities, such as shelter from the weather and a place to store food. During the frigid evenings and cold winter months, Neanderthals warmed their caves with the recently discovered phenomenon of fire. Using fire pits and hearths, these hominids could heat their cavernous homes and cook their kill. Research has also shown that some Neanderthals may have had access to hot water. While investigating a 60,000-year-old cave in Barcelona, Spain, scientists discovered that next to the hearth was a hole that they think was once filled with water. The heat from the fire may have heated the water, which the Neanderthals may have used to boil meat.