Check out this now-outdated depiction of a Neanderthal compared to a modern reconstruction.

Check out this now-outdated depiction of a Neanderthal compared to a modern reconstruction.

Check out this now-outdated depiction of a Neanderthal compared to a modern reconstruction.

Neanderthals were an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans that inhabited Eurasia until approximately 40,000 years ago. Their extinction may have resulted from assimilation into the modern human genome through interbreeding, dramatic climatic shifts, disease, or a combination of these factors. Over time, they were fully replaced by early European modern humans.

The point at which Neanderthals diverged from modern humans remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 315,000 to over 800,000 years ago.

Despite past misconceptions, Neanderthal technology was highly advanced. They developed the Mousterian stone-tool industry and may have been capable of creating fire, constructing cave hearths, and producing birch bark tar as an adhesive. Evidence suggests they crafted simple garments resembling blankets or ponchos, practiced weaving, engaged in seafaring across the Mediterranean, used medicinal plants, treated severe injuries, stored food, and employed various cooking techniques, including roasting, boiling, and smoking.

Artwork Credits:

Top image: “An Ancestor: The Man of Twenty Thousand Years Ago” by Franz Kupka, published in The Illustrated London News on February 27, 1909 (source found by @maarten.hoepel).
Bottom reconstruction: Created by Dutch artists, the Kennis brothers, for The Natural History Museum