How Similar Was Neanderthal Behaviour to That of Modern Humans?
Neanderthals have long been portrayed as dumb brutes. But a growing body of evidence hints that these extinct humans were much savvier than previously thought. The results of a new study at the annual meeting of the Paleoanthropology Society bolster that view and suggest that, in fact, Neanderthals acted in much the same way as early modern humans. Paleoanthropologist Bruce Hardy of Kenyon College found that although the modern humans created a larger variety of tools than did the Neanderthals, the groups engaged in mostly the same activities. These activities include using tree resin to bind stone points to wooden handles, employing stone points as thrusting or projectile weapons, crafting implements from bone and wood, butchering animals and scraping hides.
