Day in the life...

Artists have had an active role in providing us with a better idea of what Neanderthal life might have looked like.

Neanderthal family

Yet another Neanderthal family 

These particular reconstructions give us an idea of the kinds of tools Neanderthals might have had at their disposition. For example, both these works emphasize their use of fire and of animal skins as clothing. However, they place these individuals within different ecological contexts. The first family lives in an alpine setting, out in the open. It suggests that Neanderthals were particularly well-adapted to cold weather and harsh environmental conditions. The second Neanderthal family stopped for the night in a sheltered cave. An older woman, presumably a grandmother, tends to the fire. It suggests that older adults had an important role within their communities, even past menopause.

Many other reconstructions emphasize Neanderthals' hunting abilities.

Hunting scene

Weapons as defense

These two scenes remind us that Neanderthals often hunted at close range. Indeed, many Neanderthal remains show evidence of trauma. Of course, bodily trauma might also be due to a more violent use of tools by other Neanderthals (or humans?).

The above individual was determined to have died from a blow to the head caused by a sharp weapon. Not such a pretty picture, huh?   

Neanderthal flower burial

Evidence of Neanderthal burials, like at Shanidar cave in Iraq, has also captured the imagination of artists. In the above illustration, the artist definitely wants to suggests that the botanical remains discovered in one particular burial were placed there quite deliberately, as a ritual practice. Others maintain that there is really no way to know whether the flowers were placed in the grave deliberately, or whether they blew into it by chance.

Is it possible we're gone a little too far in humanizing Neanderthals? It's so difficult to read the archeological record, and so easy to assign one's own meaning to particular findings...

Bibliography 

• Hays , Jeffrey . "Neanderthal Society ." Facts and Details . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. <http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1475&catid=56&subcatid=361>.
• Hitchcock, Don. "The Clan Cave - Shanidar Cave in Iraq." Don's Maps - Palaeolithic / Paleolithic European, Russian and Australian Archaeology / Archeology . N.p., 6 Aug. 2012. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://donsmaps.com/clancave.html>.
• Knight, Will. "Neanderthal man was "armed and dangerous" - 23 April 2002 - New Scientist." Science news and science jobs from New Scientist - New Scientist. N.p., 23 Apr. 2002. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2198-neanderthal-man-was-armed-and-dangerous.html>.
• Meyers , Katy . "Neanderthal Burials « Bones Don't Lie."  Bones Don't Lie. N.p., 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://bonesdontlie.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/neanderthal-burials/>.