Neanderthals By Casey Sean and Vikram

Table of Contents Dates and Places of Existence Physical Appearance Tools Shelters Food and Hunting Religion and Ceremonies Clothing Paintings and Carvings Fire Daily Life Development of Language And LOTS More!!!

Dates and Places of Existence About 200,000 years ago, Neanderthals migrated throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia.(1)Humans migrated because of weather, food, and water. In Australia, South and North America, these warmer places had more plants and animal life, so that could be why the migrations occurred.(2) These migrations could take hundreds of years.(3)

Physical Appearance Neanderthals were usually 5 ft. – 6 ft. tall, and they weighed between 140 pounds and 180 pounds.(4)Their skulls bulged at the side and the back.(5) Scientists believed Neanderthals were dim-witted and since they walked differently and they had dislocated hands, nobody wanted them as ancestors.(6)It turned out that the only reason this happened was because the Neanderthals had a bone-crippling disease called Arthritis.(7) Neanderthals usually only lived until the age of 40 or less.

Tools Neanderthals usually used tools made of stone during this time.(8)They made knives and scrapers. The scrapers were made out of a little stone called flint.(9) They also made weapons out of deer antlers and stones to make an axe.(10) Neanderthals needed patience and practice to make these tools. With these tools, Neanderthals could make weapons to hunt and to make better shelters.(11)

Shelters Neanderthals were very smart, and they made more advanced shelters than early hominids. In Russia, remains of animal hides were found to show that they stretched the hides over mammoth bones. (12)This protected the Neanderthals from the wind. Later discoveries tell that Neanderthals also lived in caves or built animal skin huts.(13)

Food and Hunting Since Neanderthals were very good hunters, all they ate was what they hunted.(14)The Neanderthal men would go out and women would stay at a camp or gather plants for food.(15)Sometimes, the Neanderthals would use fish as bait to catch other animals, but they usually used arrows, spears, or daggers.(16)Neanderthals made weapons out of deer antlers so that they could use them to hunt bigger animals.(17)

Religion & Ceremonies The Neanderthals buried the dead, which some say proves they were religious.(18)Discoveries of Neanderthal grave sites show that they decorated the bodies of the dead with paint and beautiful clothes, which also might show that the Neanderthals were religious.(19) The Neanderthals usually ate deer meat during this time.(20) Neanderthals believed the deer meat was the religious food.

Clothing Neanderthals used bone needles to sew animal skins into clothes, blankets, and tents to keep them warm.(21) These clothes had to be warm, or the Neanderthals would freeze. They might have been the first homind group to actually sew their clothes, instead of just draping animal skins over themselves. (22)

Paintings and Carvings Neanderthals carved mostly animals over 30,000 years ago. Scientists found a carving of a deer.(23)Neanderthals also painted symbols that looked like a kind of language.(24) Some of these paintings go back to around 15,000 B.C. Most of these painting were of animals including: bison, deer, oxen, and horses.(25)

Fire was made by a dagger that would sharpen a stick so that it could hit the other stick and make a flame.(26) Or Neanderthals used two stones and hit them together on a stick and made fire. Long bones of animals were used to make tools and daggers.(27)Their use of fire helped cook food and scare off big, frightening animals! It also provided heat and light.

Daily Life Neanderthals were hunters. They spent most of their day hunting for food and preparing it. The Neanderthals had to be prepared for dangerous animals so they sometimes made weapons and tools.(28) At the end of a day, the Neanderthal men, woman, and children sat in front of the fire. The food was buried in the dirt for safekeeping. Before going to sleep, the Neanderthals might have shared thoughts and stories.(29)

POP QUIZ! Answer these three questions right and you will get a free Neanderthal! 1. Did the Neanderthals walk upright? If so, then why? 2.If Neanderthals were good at doing anything, name one thing they were good at doing. 3. Why did scientists think that Neanderthals were religious?

Answers 1. Did the Neanderthals walk upright? If so, then why? Answer: Yes, they did, unless they had a severe form of the crippling disease called Arthritis. 2.If Neanderthals were good at doing anything, name one thing they were good at doing. Answer: They were very good at hunting, making fires, and building shelters. 3. Why did scientists think that Neanderthals were religious? Answer: Scientists thought Neanderthals were religious because they found at Neanderthal grave sites that Neanderthals decorated the dead with clothes and decorations.

Prize Booth! If you have answered all three questions right then here is your Neanderthal! Instead of one Neanderthal, we will give you four!!!

Conclusion Finally, we conclude with some facts. Neanderthals were born hunters; they were very good at hunting. (30)Studies show that Neanderthals were religious, and their religious food was deer meat.(31) When Neanderthals were about to sleep, they shared thoughts and expressed their ideas.(32) Some say Neanderthals walked upright and had deformed hands, which they did, but it was because they had a bone-crippling disease called Arthritis.(33) Neanderthals also did not live long, usually they died near or before the age of 40.(34)

Endnotes 1. “Neanderthals,” http://Kidspast.com 2.Ibid. 3.Ibid. 5. California Visits Ancient Civilizations, Macmillan/MacGraw Hill: New York, NY, 2007, pp, 70-84. 6. Ibid. 7.Ibid. 8. Ibid. 9.Ibid. 10. Ibid. 11. Ibid. 12.Ibid. 13. Ibid. 14. Ibid. 15. Ibid. 16. Facchini, Fiorenzo, A Day with Homo Sapiens, Books: Connecticut, Twenty-First Century, 2003, pp. 14-26. 17. Ibid. 18. Ibid. 19. Ibid. 20. Ibid. 21. Ibid.

Endnotes ( continued) 22. Ibid. 23. Ibid. 24. Ibid. 25. Ibid. 26. Ibid. 27. “Neanderthals,” http://www.mrdonn.org. 28. Ibid. 29. Ibid. 30. Ibid. 31. Ibid. 32. Ibid. 33. Ibid. 34. Kearns, Marsha,“Neanderthals,” Early Humans. Creative Teaching Press: CA, 1993.

Bibliography California Visits Ancient Civilizations. Macmillan/McGraw Hill: New York, NY, 2007. Facchini, Fiorenzo, A Day with Neanderthals, Books: Connecticut, Twenty-First Century, 2003. Kearns, Marsha.“Homo Habilis.” Early Humans. Creative Teaching Press: CA, 1993. “Neanderthal.” Neanderthal. http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/. “Neanderthal.” Neanderthal. nhttp://www.kidspast.org/.