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Once portrayed as savage, grunting, hunched sub-humans, Neanderthals are now recognized as having brains as large as ours, along with their own unique culture. They buried their dead, cared for the sick, and lived alongside our ancestors in Europe for millennia before their extinction, just as modern humans began to thrive and spread across the continent. This list highlights the top ten persistent myths about Homo neanderthalensis.
10. Absence of Speech
The misconception: Neanderthals were mute and only grunted.
For a long time, it was believed that Neanderthals lacked the ability to speak like humans, with only a rudimentary capacity for sound. However, in 1983, scientists discovered a Neanderthal hyoid bone in a cave in Israel, which is part of the vocal apparatus and identical to that of modern humans. This finding suggests that Neanderthals had the physical capacity for speech just like us. There is no reason to assume they didn’t have at least a basic form of vocal communication.
9. Our Ancestors
The misconception: Humans are descended from Neanderthals
In reality, Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted as two separate species. Recent genetic studies reveal that Neanderthals represent a distinct evolutionary branch, one that ultimately led to their extinction around 30,000 years ago. Their disappearance was likely due to a combination of lower birth rates, higher mortality, and a progressively unstable climate.
8. Excessive Hair
The misconception: Neanderthals were covered in hair
There is no evidence to suggest that Neanderthals were any hairier than modern humans. In fact, computer simulations have demonstrated that excessive body hair in Neanderthals would have led to excessive sweating, which could have frozen in cold environments, potentially causing death.
7. Clubbing
The misconception: Neanderthals only used clubs as weapons
In reality, Neanderthals possessed a wide range of advanced tools and weapons, including spears for hunting mammoths and finely crafted stone tools. They are believed to have used Mousterian-style tools, often made with soft hammer percussion, using materials like bones, antlers, and wood, as opposed to the traditional hard stone hammers. Many of these tools were incredibly sharp. There's also substantial evidence that Neanderthals utilized wood for various purposes, though these objects haven’t survived to the present day.
6. Bent Over
The misconception: Neanderthals had bent knees and walked like chimpanzees
This is an example of how a single discovery can cause widespread confusion. In the early 20th century, a Neanderthal skeleton was discovered with bent knees, which led to the mistaken belief that all Neanderthals had this feature. However, it was later revealed that the skeleton belonged to a Neanderthal with arthritis. Neanderthals actually walked upright, just like modern humans, and were typically only 12–14 cm (5–6 inches) shorter than contemporary humans, contrary to the common myth that they were 'very short' or barely over 5 feet tall.
5. Savages
The misconception: Neanderthals were savage
There is considerable evidence to suggest that Neanderthals took care of the sick and elderly within their communities. Fossils show that individuals with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries were able to recover fully, indicating that fellow group members nursed them back to health. Additionally, fossilized musical instruments provide evidence that Neanderthals enjoyed and played music. You can listen to a clip of a Neanderthal tuba here [Source] and a Neanderthal flute here [RAM format, Source, More Info]
4. Ethnicity
The misconception: Neanderthals were ethnically homogenous
Because we refer to all Neanderthals by the same term, we tend to imagine them as a single group with identical characteristics. However, it's likely that Neanderthals, like humans, had different ethnicities. Recent research suggests that Neanderthals were divided into at least three distinct racial groups: one in western Europe, another in the southern regions, and a third in western Asia. [from Genetic Evidence of Geographical Groups among Neanderthals]
3. Unanswered Questions
The misconception: There are certain aspects of Neanderthal's physical traits that we will never understand
As of 2009, the entire Neanderthal genome was successfully mapped. The significant consequence of this achievement is that, in theory, it is now possible to clone a Neanderthal — essentially resurrecting them. The projected cost for such a process is around $30 million, and although no one has funded this project, ethical dilemmas persist. Nevertheless, there's no reason to believe that, someday, we won't be able to bring a Neanderthal (or something very close to one) back into existence and raise them.
2. Ape Face
The misconception: Neanderthals had faces resembling apes
This misunderstanding arose due to inaccurate reconstructions based on largely arthritic skeletons. In 1983, Jay Matternes, a forensic artist known for reconstructing skulls in criminal investigations, created a reconstruction using a much better specimen than any seen before. The resulting image, shown above, clearly demonstrates that Neanderthals appeared almost identical to modern humans. If you saw this individual walking down the street in a suit, you wouldn't think twice. The same is true for other Neanderthal reconstructions featured in this list.
1. Cavemen
The myth: Neanderthals lived in caves
While it's true that some Neanderthals took shelter in caves, many of them actually lived in huts. These winter homes were made from mammoth bones and branches, arranged in a teepee shape and covered with animal skins. These huts, which were used for many years, were built with great care. Poles were placed deep into the ground, tied together at the top with string made from animal intestines. Furs were carefully draped over the structure and sewn in place, while large rocks were used to hold everything together. [Source]
