The Neanderthals were hairy barbarians, about 1,55 m in height, who smashed each other's brains with maces. The general picture of the Neanderthal is not positive. And yet they were excellent hunters, taking down large mammals such as deer and rhinoceroses with simple spears. They could also make fire. The occasionally made symbolic or ornamental objects.

Evidence shows that, like modern humans, Neanderthals had the ability to speak. Their hyoid bone is indistinguishable from that of a human being today. We must leave the language to our imagination.

Compared to the early humans living in Africa, the number of plant foods Neanderthals could eat would have dropped significantly during winter of colder climates, forcing them to exploit other food options like meat more heavily. There is evidence that Neanderthals were specialized season hunters, eating animals were available at the time. There is also evidence that when they lived in coastal areas, they exploited marine resources such as mollusks, seals, dolphins, and fish.

The Mousterian stone tool industry of Neanderthals is characterized by sophisticated flake tools that were detached from a prepared stone core. This innovative technique allowed flakes of predetermined shape to be removed and fashioned into tools from a single suitable stone. This differs from the earlier Acheulean tradition, who worked from a suitable stone that was chipped down to tool form by removal of flakes of the surface.

Those tools were used for activities like hunting and sewing. Left-right arm asymmetry indicates that they hunted with thrusting spears that allowed to kill large animals from a safe distance. Found bones have a high frequency of fractures from interacting with dangerous animals. Recovered scrapers and awls associated with the animal bones at Neanderthal sites. A scraper would probably have been used to first clean the animal hide, then the awl to poke holes in it, and finally use strips of animal tissue to lace together a loose-fitting garment. Neanderthals were the first humans to wear clothing.

There is evidence that the Neanderthal buried their dead and occasionally marked the grave with offerings, like flowers. No other human species had ever practiced this sophisticated and symbolic behavior. Hat explains why the Neanderthal fossil record is so rich compared to some earlier human species.

There are various theories about the disappearance. The early people of Africa mated with Neanderthals along the way. The small Neanderthal population has likely been absorbed by the African displacement over thousands of years. Current Americans, Europeans, and Asians have ± 3% Neanderthal DNA in their bodies. Genetic research shows that Neanderthals and humans developed relationships and produced fertile offspring.