I don’t get people who still see Neanderthals as these stupid, barely human oafs. The Moment I heard what Shanidar cave was I knew they were like us.
Burring the dead? Sure, everyone does that. But the flower necklace, that takes time. That takes care. That shows a capacity to think about concept like the afterlife. Their friend died and they did not continue on like mindless animals, they exercised their capacity for love and set them to rest the way they knew how.
If you cannot see them as more alike us after that, that may reflect more on you than the Neanderthals themselves.














