As with many episodes in our past, the story of the Neanderthals is far from clear. Aspects of it are affected by our perceptions of these people: when regarded as our direct ancestors, their human capabilities have been stressed; when seen as an evolutionary dead-end it is their limitations that are sought.
How 'human' were the Neanderthals? Although they were physically quite close to modern humans in appearance, scholars are divided on their mental capabilities. Were they capable of any kind of spiritual and abstract thought?
Some pieces of evidence are suggestive. One is the treatment of the dead, which seems to have involved deliberate burial. Neanderthals did not produce spectacular art like their modern human successors, but there are hints of some artistic sensibilities.
A few objects were perhaps decorated by Neanderthals, and there are also unusual things, such as a fossil, that some Neanderthal person had clearly picked up and kept carefully, probably out of interest.
There are also clues that the Neanderthals cared for each other: an individual buried at Shanidar had been severely crippled and was dependent for much of his life, but had clearly been well looked after.
