Neanderthals built mysterious cave structures 175,000 years ago .

Neanderthals built mysterious cave structures 175,000 years ago .

Two mysterious stone rings found deep inside a French cave were probably built by Neanderthals about 176,500 years ago, proving that the ancient cousins of humans were capable of more complex behavior than previously thought, scientists say.
The structures were made from hundreds of pillar-shaped mineral deposits, called stalagmites, which were chopped to a similar length and laid out in two oval patterns up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) inches high. They were discovered by chance in 1990, after remaining untouched for tens of thousands of years because a rockslide had closed the mouth of the cave at Bruniquel in southwest France.

While previous research had suggested the structures pre-dated the arrival of modern humans in Europe around 45,000 years ago, the notion that Neanderthals could have made them didn't fit long-held assumptions that these early humans were incapable of the kind of complex behavior necessary to work underground.

Using sophisticated dating techniques, a team led by archaeologist Jacques Jaubert of the University of Bordeaux, France, found that the stalagmites must have been broken off the ground around 176,500 years ago "making these edifices among the oldest known well-dated constructions made by humans."
Read more at archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com...

Ok this info is not new it's dated 5/25/2016 ,it's just that I found it while reading my go to Blog, I don't remember this being posted on ATS, I ran a check and nothing popped up, but hey Neanderthal art or ritual anyone??, I knew they buried their dead and took care of each other, but complex ritual aka religion?? was not something I expected, and no, I don't think they were brutes, any more than we are, but I am wondering how did they communicate complex thoughts and ideas, when they supposed to not being able to speak, I mean could one band communicate complex ideas with another band, they had no prior contact with.

Good find.

Neanderthals supposedly had brains just as large or larger than ours today.

Just saying. Neanderthals weren't quite the knuckle draggers as thought.

I bet if we were all neanderthals, we wouldn't need to pay to build all the nukes we have.

We would be happy with fire pits and outdoor parties.

a reply to: Terminal1

Well the people who thought they were less intelligent (we actually do not know, as a larger brain may not mean smarter or as smart, its all in the folds) were Victorians (if memory served) and had a preconceived notion of what the peak of humanity was, and thought phrenology was a science

Looks like a pleasure cave to me.

Nice find, s&f.
a reply to: Spider879

Ok this info is not new it's dated 5/25/2016 ,it's just that I found it while reading my go to Blog, I don't remember this being posted on ATS, I ran a check and nothing popped up, but hey Neanderthal art or ritual anyone??, I knew they buried their dead and took care of each other, but complex ritual aka religion?? was not something I expected, and no, I don't think they were brutes, any more than we are, but I am wondering how did they communicate complex thoughts and ideas, when they supposed to not being able to speak, I mean could one band communicate complex ideas with another band, they had no prior contact with.

Good question. Study claims they did speak like modern humans. Which, of course, may allude to communication of ideas and thoughts with others. Wonder also if that is Including homo sapien man.

This has been suspected since the 1989 discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid that looks just like a modern human's.

But now computer modelling of how it works has shown this bone was also used in a very similar way.

Source

a reply to: dreamingawake

Oh! ok so earlier reports of them not being able to speak was simply wrong, in that case problem solved they were pretty much like us thanks for the link btw..

originally posted by: Terminal1
Good find.

Neanderthals supposedly had brains just as large or larger than ours today.

Just saying. Neanderthals weren't quite the knuckle draggers as thought.

There is evidence to suggest that our early branch of the family were more the knuckle draggers, and the Neanderthals were responsible for teaching us about ritual, ceremony, (especially regarding death) fire, tools...of course from our modern perspective, we're far too arrogant and have always painted ourselves as the pinnacle of intelligence and superiority.

It could be argued that our ancestors learned the rudiments of civilisation from the Neanderthals, and that led to an explosion in development towards our modern selves..which still have a fair percentage of Neanderthal genetics running through us all.

a reply to: Spider879

I'm not sure if it is that it could be a religious or ritual structure that is interesting here, I think it might be because they were sufficiently organised to have been able to work underground. Although it is somewhat accepted that Neaderthal's had use of controlled fire, that they had the ability to provide illumination so that they could spend prolonged time underground is really new, I think. Not sure, I'll have to read up a little.

Thanks

Not to sound overly critical... but science educators "Teach" things as facts instead of stressing that it is a theory and nothing more. To be challenged and tested without fear. To be questioned and doubted.

Many researchers that go against mainstream beliefs and dare publish their findings have their careers ruined and not until after they are long dead and buried do they have their names vindicated.

So now we have a new "fact".....and a new birthday for cavemen.... and it will be taught as fact.. and someone will dare write a paper that pushes the date back a little farther....and his peers will point at him and yell HERETIC!! and make an example of him...... and bright minds will be afraid to explore new ideas and then they will learn to make the data fit the theory...or else

I find it pathetic that just because the best preserved evidence of early man can be found in caves that they were all "cavemen". There are people right now that live in caves or underground, but that doesn't mean that we are all cavemen. They have sites where the neanderthals built complex dwellings above ground, but the idea that they were cave dwelling brutes persists.

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
I find it pathetic that just because the best preserved evidence of early man can be found in caves that they were all "cavemen". There are people right now that live in caves or underground, but that doesn't mean that we are all cavemen. They have sites where the neanderthals built complex dwellings above ground, but the idea that they were cave dwelling brutes persists.

I kind of agree if the perception is 'cave dwelling brutes', but if you are in an environment where there are caves that provide protection against the elements, a level of natural defence against predators and - if lucky - protection against flooding, then the stupid would be those that didn't take advantage. I think sometimes that point is missed.

a reply to: Spider879

Many subspecies of Neanderthal may have had brain's just as large as our's and there is a thought that it was there metabolism and need to feed there much more powerful body's which left them with less time for abstract thought, other than that they were Human first and foremost.

There are some sight's which though not Cannon Archaeology may make you think about what they May have been capable of, heck why not even a civilization of sort's.
Of course as is staple on this site let me say it is just a stone, but could it have been a ceremonial site for a neanderthal religion, could it even have been carved or shaped by them?.


Here is a great video about european neanderthal and modern human interaction's.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I bet if we were all neanderthals, we wouldn't need to pay to build all the nukes we have.

We would be happy with fire pits and outdoor parties.

Or teepees if the Cavalries hadn't run the Native Americans away.

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: rickymouse
I bet if we were all neanderthals, we wouldn't need to pay to build all the nukes we have.

We would be happy with fire pits and outdoor parties.

Or teepees if the Cavalries hadn't run the Native Americans away.

My biggest question about neanderthals is.... what kind of coffee did they drink?

a reply to: Spider879

I've known about it for some time, so it's not new.

They obviously had language, though it is too far distant for us to tease out any words (ala proto-Indo-European).

But they were probably not the first with language. And as for communication, even the lower animals communicate. Any creature that lives in communities has to have some method of signaling others.

Not gonna lie...feeling pretty proud of my 2.7% Neanderthal DNA right about now..

Thanks 23andme!!!

-Christosterone[Neanderthal Ambassador]

originally posted by: Christosterone
Not gonna lie...feeling pretty proud of my 2.7% Neanderthal DNA right about now..

Thanks 23andme!!!

-Christosterone[Neanderthal Ambassador]

I was honestly disappointed to find out that I'm only 1% Neanderthal. I was hoping for at least 2%.

originally posted by: Byrd

originally posted by: Christosterone
Not gonna lie...feeling pretty proud of my 2.7% Neanderthal DNA right about now..

Thanks 23andme!!!

-Christosterone[Neanderthal Ambassador]

I was honestly disappointed to find out that I'm only 1% Neanderthal. I was hoping for at least 2%.

Going by appearances, I can probably claim at least 30%, and my next older bro is more like 60%.

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: rickymouse
I bet if we were all neanderthals, we wouldn't need to pay to build all the nukes we have.

We would be happy with fire pits and outdoor parties.

Or teepees if the Cavalries hadn't run the Native Americans away.

My biggest question about neanderthals is.... what kind of coffee did they drink?

Colombian. It's my favorite.