In archeology, theses are sometimes replaced not because new research refutes them, but because those who supported them are slowly dying. As a result, it may take a long time before outdated ideas are finally buried. And it takes longer for the new results to gain acceptance among the general public. This circumstance may explain the reason for the idea of neanderthal man As a person without culture is widespread to this day.
A Journey Through Modern Neanderthal Research
The research of modern Neanderthals is already much further. Thanks to modern excavation methods, reassessment of ancient finds and, last but not least, paleogenetics that have appeared only in recent years, a multifaceted picture has emerged of the species that is probably closest to us. British archaeologists Rebecca and Raj Sykes compiled these findings in a generally understood manner in her book The Misunderstood Man.
The title says it all: The discovery of the first Neanderthal bones coincided with the publication of Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” which probably explains why the lives of other human species in the heart of Europe were initially misunderstood. From the characteristics of the skulls and bones found, researchers of the time quickly concluded that Neanderthals must have been stupid, primitive and violent. In the following decades, other discoveries were often interpreted based on this idea. Traces of cutting and processing discovered on skeletons made Neanderthals a savage cannibal in the eyes of people.
And Raj Sykes gets rid of these hasty judgments. Because modern interpretations of the same discoveries allow completely different conclusions. The treatment, even cannibalism, of a deceased member of the group can be a kind of funeral rite. Of course, we can’t finally say whether and how Neanderthals buried their dead, but the results of research in the past few years clearly show that they may have looked more like us than originally thought.
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