the Neanderthal Mind

I might have a hard time comparing the Neanderthal mind to anything else. I think it may have operated differently all together. The same instincts and needs would have driven their subconscious but Neanderthal brand consciousness is another story. There are some differences in hardware between them and later hominids. When it comes to ‘cave art’, those differences begin to present themselves. Neanderthals might have drawn in the dirt of their caves or maybe even on the walls but it would have been for pretty utilitarian reasons.
They might have tried to plan a hunt that way, I suppose. I don’t think they ever would have preserved a landscape with cave imagery the way Cro-Magnon Man did though. Their understanding of science might be different too. I would like to talk science with a Neanderthal. I think they would have interesting ideas if we had a common language to exchange them. Even if they had the vocabulary and understanding of it, they might have lacked the imagination to come up with the in-depth visual representations that started with cave art. It might just have been something their big minds didn’t have the imagination for.
Lack of imagination is a pretty conventional idea in regards to the Neanderthal mind. Their big powerful minds weren’t tasked with imaginative creativity. Some of that is anatomical. Development of parts of the brain responsible for imagination arrived later. I have wondered if legends about telepathy didn’t originate from Neanderthal lore, though. If they didn’t have the physiology for extensive communication through speech to go along with their fairly large brains, maybe they communicated by other means.
That’s pretty romantic speculation. At some point, I think we can only speculate though. At least without the cave-man to experiment with. The Neanderthal mind might have been purely archaic. It was probably consumed by instincts and other ancient recessive functions. Somewhere between primate minds and modern human ones, the powerful Neanderthal mind remains a mystery. A ‘complex artifact’ or relic of its own. In another time it was modern but sometimes relics serve to remind us what life was like in wilder times when primitive was contemporary.

there goes the neighborhood

When modern humans arrived in Europe, they were greeted by the continent’s resident population. Either possessed a Stone Age technology. They might have even been closer in tech’ than they were anatomy. And both were hunter gatherers. I’ve said before, ‘if there’s anything that would bring them together, it would be to exchange technology or for a hunt.’ If they were compatible it is likely that they might have even forged civil unions but genetic evidence is sketchy. Modern humans also brought complicated networks of trade and commerce along with their new anatomies, advancements in stone working and innovations in shelter.
Technological revolutions have historically been accompanied by migrations. Early stone tool technology and fire let the Neanderthals and other archaic breeds venture out of Africa’s woodlands and into the wildernesses of Europe and the Far East. Again, with Cro-Magnon Man and Homo sapiens sapiens, populations in the savanna thrived and expanded. The hunting grounds to the north were well preserved thanks to the Neanderthals and other ‘archaic’ races' primitive hunting techniques. Archaic hunters were bound to their caves and blade technology. That limited their tactics some, led to a traumatic history with big game hunting and most importantly for modern humans migrating out of Africa it left open a niche in the natural hunting order.
In the time between the archaics’ exodus and modern human kind’s migration from the savanna, they had continued to evolve on different courses. The moderns’ command of fire, complex social networks and advanced stone technology were beyond the Neanderthals’ grasp in Europe. With a niche in the hunting order and their other advantages, Homo sapiens sapiens were able to exploit the continent like Neanderthals never could. It might have been more of an issue of ‘supremacy’ for modern humans than it was for more instinctual Neanderthals. Negotiations between the two would have been disastrous. Over the course of their isolations, either had acquired distinct logistical issues. And the colonization that occurred during the Upper Palaeolithic might have absorbed the Neanderthals in its wake.
Tides and sea levels rose at the end of the Ice Age. It probably would have been a time of geological activity too. Stone Age cultures around the world had to adopt early seaborne skills and technology to reach what used to be overland destinations. Human kind had been migrating out of Africa for hundreds of thousands of years and the most recent exodus had been replacing more archaic cousin-breeds on at least three continents. Homo sapiens sapiens spanned the Stone Age World before a shrinking ice cap separated them until the Dark Ages. They might be most famous for creating the mystery behind the Neanderthals' fate. In a lot of ways they just had the misfortune of filling in a niche in the hunting hierarchy. They did it so well that they became the authority on the continent. What’s left of Neanderthal culture lives on in archaeology lectures and works of fiction. And maybe a history lesson on the importance of adaptability.

A Good Game

Bobby scratched his butt and rolled out of bed. He went to the bathroom. The girl in his bed stirred, but didn’t show any signs of getting-up. He slipped on a pair of sandals and crept into the kitchen. “I’m gonna need some coffee.” Bobby set-up his coffee-maker and sat down on the couch in front of the TV to wait. He didn’t want to wake the girl in his bed, so he kept the volume down. “Crap!” he whispered, “What is her name?” They had met the night before at a party that a mutual friend had thrown. He was tempted to call his friend, because he thought it would be rotten to call her ‘hey you’ all morning. But before he could call, it came to him. “Kelly" he decided, "that’s it!” He looked over his shoulder towards the bedroom, with his luck she would be standing there to overhear him thinking out-loud.
He was in luck. It looked like he was still the only one awake. The coffee smelled good. He got up to check on it. It was almost done brewing so he pulled a mug out of the cupboard. Faintly, he heard stirring from the bedroom. He poured himself a cup of coffee and peaked into the bedroom. Kelly rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. She saw Bobby in the doorway. She wanted to pull the covers over her head, but then she saw the coffee in his hands. “Is there any chance that’s for me?”
Bobby sat on a corner of the bed and handed her the mug. “I cannot function without-it in the morning.” Bobby scratched his head. “Are you hungry?”
“Not yet. I might wanna jump in the shower first.”
“Lemme get you a towel.” Bobby ducked out into the hallway and came back with a bath-towel. He dropped it on the bed next to Kelly. “I will get out of your way.”
Bobby got up and started to leave the room, but Kelly stopped him. “Do you want your coffee back?”
Bobby doubled back for the mug. “There’s more in the kitchen, if yer thirsty.” He stopped at the doorway. “Do you have anywhere to be today?”
“Not really. Did you have something in mind?”
“I think I could come-up with something. Lemme think about it while you take your shower.”
Bobby returned to the kitchen and fixed himself another cup of coffee and sat down in front of the TV. Before long the shower came-on. “We oughta do something fun!” Bars were fun, but not exactly what he had in mind. Maybe the movies, you can never go wrong there. He checked the sports page. There was a baseball game today, but Bobby didn’t know if she was a sports fan. “You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy taking-in a game.” He thought it was worth a shot. He finished his coffee and got up to pour another cup.
Bobby sat back down in front of the TV. He heard the water shut-off, and before long Kelly came out. “Is there any coffee left?”
“Yeah, help yourself.” Bobby pointed to the kitchen. “I should probably grab a shower too.” Bobby squeezed Kelly’s shoulder as he passed her in the hallway.
“What did you come-up with?”
Bobby turned on the shower. “We’ve got the weather for a ballgame!” Bobby climbed into the shower and waited for a reply.
“Sure, that sounds like fun!”
“It’s an early game, we should head down to the park before too long!”
“Whenever you’re ready!”
Bobby figured he was clean enough so he turned the shower off and climbed-out. “Gimme a couple of minutes!” He mostly put on clean clothes, except for the jeans he picked-up off the floor. “I’m ready if you are.”
Bobby closed-up his apartment and they walked to the bus-stop. They sat quietly while they waited for the bus. “I haven’t been to a ball-game since I was a kid.”
“Did you play as a kid?”
“Yeah, shortstop on a softball team.” Their bus pulled-up. It wasn’t terribly crowded, so they were able to claim a couple seats together. “I am guessing you played baseball when you were younger?”
“Yeah, I always looked-forward to baseball season.”
“What position?”
“Mostly centerfield, but I played a little bit of everything.” Bobby put his arm over the back of the seat. “Do you have a favorite ball-club?”
Kelly thought for a moment. “I don’t really follow baseball, but I always liked the Cubs.”
“I think everyone does, at least a little. The Yankees and Red Sox thrive off of heated rivalries, but the Cubs appeal to everyone.” Bobby could have gone-on forever, but he decided to shut-up before he put Kelly to sleep.
“You were right about the weather, this oughta be a good day for a game.”
“I cannot take all the credit for that, the weather wasn’t really my idea.” Kelly chuckled. “It sure did cooperate today, though.”
It didn’t take the bus long to get into the city. Bobby and Kelly got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to the ball-park. “What do you have on the third-base line?”
“Would you settle for something behind the plate?”
“Yeah, that will work.” Bobby stuck the tickets in his pocket and turned back to Kelly. “We’ve got some time to grab a beer before we head into the game, if you want to?”
“That sounds good!”
There was a pub across the street from the park, Bobby grabbed Kelly’s hand and led her in. They found a quiet booth and the waitress headed over. “Did you kids bring your identification?” The couple reached into their pockets and pulled-out their driver’s licenses. “Okay, what can I get you?”
They ordered a couple of pints and a side of fries. The beer got there first. When the waitress showed-up with the fries Bobby was ready for another beer. “Couple more pints?” Bobby looked over at Kelly, she nodded.
“Sure thing, I’ll be right back.”
When the bar-maid came back with the drinks Bobby stopped her. “We might leave in a hurry, we’re going to catch a game. And I think this might be our last round. Can we settle-up, now?”
The waitress gave Bobby the bill and he took care of it, with a little left-over for the bar-maid’s tip. “Thanks. You kids have a good time at the game.”
“Thanks.” Bobby turned back to Kelly. “I hope you are having a good time?”
“Yeah, Bobby. But, when do we have to be at the park?”
“We’ve got time to finish our beers. We don’t have far to go.” They did just that. They sat there in their quiet corner of the almost romantic sports-bar and looked at each other as they joked over their beers and fries. When they were done, Bobby grabbed Kelly’s hand and walked her across the street. The line-ups were being introduced as they entered the stadium. “It sounds like we’re on time.”
Bobby walked Kelly down the tunnel into the stands. He looked down at the tickets and pointed to their aisle. She grabbed his arm. “I’ll follow you.” They got to their row and worked their way to their seats.
“Yeah, this will work!” Kelly sat down next to Bobby and he put his arm around the back of her seat. Kelly really got into the game. “Cool,” Bobby thought “she really likes baseball!”
They were just about the last to leave the stadium when the game ended. “Thanks, Bobby. I really had a good time.”
“Where do we wanna go next?”
“What do you mean?”
Bobby hesitated. “Do you have to go home now?”
“No, Bobby. Where do you wanna go?”
Bobby worked up his courage. “You’re welcome to stay at my place again tonight?” Bobby was hoping what they had wasn’t going to end-up being just a fling, and he figured he’d give her the chance to correct him if he was wrong. He worried, had he been too forward? “I can understand if you’d like to get home.”
“No, Bobby. I am having a nice time with you, I think I’d like to stay-over.”
Bobby was almost surprised, and he showed it. Everything about his expression was saying, “No way!” “Okay, then let’s get outta here!”
Bobby walked Kelly out of the empty stadium and down to the bus stop. They held hands as they waited. “Do the last couple of days seem like a blur?”
Bobby thought back to yesterday morning and wondered, how could so much happen over such a short time? “Yeah, Kelly. It has been eventful, alright!”
Kelly laughed. She looked closely at Bobby. He was kind of handsome, in a goofy way. But beyond that she could see that he was sincere. “Kelly,” she thought to herself “you could do worse.”
Bobby did the same thing, but came to a different conclusion. “Bobby,” he thought “you are awful lucky!”
Their bus pulled-up and they climbed on. They found a couple seats together and sat down. Bobby draped his arm over the seat’s back. He was kind of in shock and turned to Kelly to share his confession with her. “Kelly,” he said “I feel lucky!”

Modern Mysteries

I think the most conclusive proof can be historical influence. Ultimately, the Neanderthals’ fate continues through and resides in archeology and anthropology. They might have even contributed to mythology and socialism. In the short time it took for modern humans to colonize Europe, Neanderthals must have had some kind of influence. Negotiations between the primitive breeds might have been comical, until they found something in common. Neanderthals might have made a powerful ally for modern humans in a lawless time.
Genetic influence remains inconclusive. Some could be found in modern racial distinctions. If that is the case, Neanderthals may have been incorporated along with other archaic breeds. If one thing is conclusive about Neanderthals, maybe it is that they were no match for the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution. It might have contributed to Neanderthal genetic selection. A force as powerful as a technological revolution could easily select the most industrious candidates from an existing population. As the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution reached the Neanderthals and other archaic populations, it would have demanded that new traits were developed.
Along with Europe’s other predators, Neanderthals had to compete for the continent’s resources with the arrival of modern humans. Cave men everywhere must have thought, ‘we’re gonna need a bigger cave!’ Modern humans brought more sophisticated shelter but a good cliff dwelling can be tough to beat and Cro-Magnon Man seems to have adopted continental cave life too. Sometime before agriculture was developed and shires caught on, modern humans left portraits on the walls of caves. Between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon Man, a culture of cave life was shared. Europe’s later inhabitants moved out of the caves and wild.
Whatever happened to the Neanderthals, Europe had no more cave-men. I guess you can do a little more with a lodge than you can with a cave. Neanderthals that couldn’t meet the demands of progress and industry would become ‘extinct’, just like any of the other breeds of human kind that the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution crossed. I might make the distinction between ‘modern humans’ and ‘modern Neanderthals’ for any who survived the revolution. They both would have been modern by then but a ‘modern Neanderthal’ is a bit of a contradiction. It’s like saying ‘modern archaic’, or ‘modern throwback’. But any Neanderthals that were incorporated by the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution would have become just that.