Transcript Introduction - Ms. McClure

Neanderthals
By: Brandon, Eric, and Riley.
Welcome to the Paleolithic era. Today, we will be
teaching you about Neanderthals! Neanderthals
were dim-witted brutes who were excellent with
fire. Please join us on a journey through time.
However, before we begin, just a news flash:
dinosaurs and Neanderthals did NOT live in the
same time period. Additionally, scientists believe
that Neanderthals had bent bones, based on a
skeleton they found. However, this assumption may
or may not be true!
Dates and Places
Africa, Europe, and Asia were common places
for Neanderthals about 200,000 years ago. [1]
They migrated a lot in their life. That time
period was called the Paleolithic Era, also
known as the Stone or Ice Age.[2] Sadly, the
cave people didn’t have watches, so they
couldn’t tell time!
Physical Appearance
Neanderthals had a different skull compared to a
modern human’s. It was much larger. It was made
for big brains, but Neanderthals had very small
brains.[3] They also were much taller, stronger,
and had better vision than earlier hominids. They
had no cavities, unlike people now. [4]
Shelter
Some Neanderthals created their homes with
animal hide, much like they created clothes.
Some, on the other hand, lived in caves. Most
Neanderthals would live in caves, though,[5]
probably because it provided more safety than
a regular shelter.
Food
Most Neanderthal food included bison, oxen,
woolly mammoth, nuts, and berries. [6] The
men would hunt for the big animals. The
women picked berries and gathered nuts.
Occasionally, the women also would hunt for
small animals. The men would scare the big
animals with fire, scaring them off the edge of
a cliff. [7]
Daily Life
The daily life of a Neanderthal included these
activities: hunting, migrating, cooking, making
fire, and just staying away from predators.
Gathering food such as berries, roots, and
nuts was another thing that Neanderthals
would do. They also made tools on a daily
basis. [8]
Tools
Neanderthals would use rocks that had pointy
edges for spears. They would sometimes use
these as arrows, too. All of the tools were
made out of rock until bones were used as
needles. [9] Eventually, Neanderthals also
made tools out of deer antlers, which they
hunted for food. [10] They started using
antlers a little bit after the Stone Age. [11]
• The Neanderthals were excellent with fire.
They used it to cook food, scare away
predators, hunt, and, of course, to stay warm.
[12] For example, Neanderthals would light a
torch and scare BIG animals off cliffs. [13]
They also used fire for light, much like us,
except we use electricity.
Religion and Ceremonies
Neanderthals that did have religious beliefs
placed flowers and occasionally animal horns
on the grave of their dead loved ones. [14]
The Neanderthals did feel like they had to do
something for their loved ones, so they would
give them respect. [15] You may think
Neanderthals are all hunt and eat, but they
were actually religious sometimes. It kind of
makes you wonder…
Development of Language
Scientists believe that Neanderthals
communicated through pictures.[16] It is like
having a conversation, but you would be in a
cave, painting pictures on walls and ceilings.
Some would even crawl through little openings
in caves to draw,[17] risking their lives, not
even knowing if there were dangerous animals
somewhere inside.[18]
Clothing
The Neanderthals would wear animal hide.
The men would hunt the animals. Soon after
an animal had been killed, they would cut off
the animal’s hide. They would then either cut
holes in the hide for their neck and arms, or
they would just use the hide as a blanket.[19]
Imagine if your favorite blanket was animal
hide.
Paintings and Carving
Neanderthals drew cave paintings and made
sculptures.[20] Neanderthals would crawl
through the tiniest cracks to get into caves,
just to paint on the walls.[21] They would
grind stuff up to make chalk. The main colors
of the Neanderthals’ chalks were brown, tan,
black, and yellow.[22] They would also make
sculptures out of bone and clay.[23]
Questions
• Did the Neanderthals have naturally have bent
bones? If not, explain why scientist might
think so.
• What time period did Neanderthals live in?
• How did Neanderthals use fire to hunt?
Answers
• No, since it was the first skeleton of
Neanderthals ever found, scientists based
their guesses on that one skeleton, but it
turned out that the skeleton had really bad
arthritis.
• The Neanderthals lived in the Ice Age. A.K.A,
200,000 years ago.
• The Neanderthals would make torches and
scare the animal off a cliff.
Conclusion
So in the end, it turned out that Neanderthals
did not have bent bones. Scientists had just
found a skeleton of a man who had severe
arthritis.[24] So if in the future you somehow
find a new type of early humans, don’t judge
it on the first find.
End Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
Kearns, Marsha, “Australopithecus,” Early Humans, p. 1.
“Australopithecus,” http://www.anthro4n6.net/lucy, p. 7.
Ibid.
California Vistas Ancient Civilizations, Macmillan McGraw-Hill, NY,
2007, Tools, p. 73.
5. Ibid, p 72.
6. “Australopithecus,” Australopithecus,
http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/.
7. “Australopithecus,” http://www.anthro4n6.net/lucy, pp. 1-2.
8. “Australopithecus,” Australopithecus,
http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/.
9. Ibid.
10. California Vistas Ancient Civilizations, Macmillan McGraw-Hill, NY,
2007, p. 73.
Bibliography
California Visits Ancient Civilizations.
Macmillan/McGraw Hill: New York, NY,
2007.
Kearns, Marsha.“Homo Habilis.” Early Humans.
Creative Teaching Press: CA, 1993.
“Neanderthal.” Neanderthal.
http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/.