The Stone Age is a period that lasted for about 3.4 million years and ended somewhere between 4000 BC and 2000 BC.Cavemen were early humans who lived during the Stone Age Period. There is so much to know about these supposedly intelligent and advanced species of the Homo genus.In the Stone Age, people of the Neander valley used stones to make tools and hunted their prey using these tools. Did you know that the Stone Age marks the beginning of the genus ‘homo’? These cavemen are also called Neanderthals, and despite the belief that these cavemen were primitive and ape-like, experts are of the opinion that the species was actually very intelligent and had larger brains than the humans of today! This article will give you precise primitive cavemen facts that you might not have known before!Let’s start by exploring human history through the different ages. There are several ways the earliest period is divided. In simple terms, you can divide these into Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age depending on the kind of materials used to make tools and weapons.According to the three-age chronological system, the ages can be divided into the Lower Paleolithic Era, Middle Paleolithic Era, Upper Paleolithic Era, Mesolithic Period or Era, and Neolithic Era. According to the African chronology, there are three divisions of the Stone Age namely Early Stone Age, Middle Stone Age, Later Stone Age.The Neanderthal group was a part of the Middle Stone Age. In terms of the European chronology, this is equal to the Middle Paleolithic Period. The Neanderthals lived in smaller groups of 10-30 individuals. A normal Neanderthal group usually had a mix of adults, adolescents, juveniles, and infants. An interesting thing that experts were able to identify from teeth imprints is that the children were weaned at an average age of two and a half years! Studies show that children had to start working right from the time they were weaned in order to survive and this led to a lot of physical problems in the little one including stunted growth and high stress.Did you know that many of the humans in the non-sub-Sahara regions still contain a part of Neanderthal DNA? It could be nature’s way of removing weak species, or it could be because of Neanderthal habits, but these individuals developed several harmful mutations in the body. This eventually led to their extinction.Once you have finished reading this article, why not discover eastern woodlands facts and electric telegraph inventor facts here on Kidadl?Physical Characteristics Of CavemenThe cavemen, or the Neanderthals, had strong physical characteristics similar to modern human beings and apes. They were stocky, healthy, and muscular beings with physical traits developed to handle the harsh climates.Though the Neanderthals had a lot of resemblance to modern humans, two distinct differences are the shape of the head and jaw. Neanderthals had a protruding lower jaw that was more comparable to an ape than today’s human beings. The brow ridges were prominently arched and were the first things you would have noticed on the face. This is also a stark difference from modern-day humans. Another very prominent feature of these prehistoric humans was their noses! Their noses were right in the middle of their faces and were big and wide.History has it that the wider and longer nose may have been a way of handling the cold. The larger inner volume of the nose would have warmed the air that was inhaled. The occipital region of the head was very prominent and pronounced too. The occipital region is the region of the skull at the back of the head that helps perceive colors and motion. This was pronounced to help handle the heavyweight of the head.Lumbar lordosis is the extent of the curvature of the lumbar spine. Experts are of the opinion that this curve was less than what it is now with these people. The average caveman weighed about 141.1–180.8 lb (64-82 kg). Generally, men weighed more than women in the group.Experts believed that when compared to their upper limb extremities, their lower limb extremities were shorter. Also, most of the Neanderthal men and women possessed broader chests, as they would have needed large capacity lungs to breathe in the cold. Archaeological evidence states that these Neanderthals possessed very prominent and large front teeth. This was to bite, pull, and rip apart food, and such teeth often acted as a natural third hand.Neanderthals had different skin colors depending on the region they were from. Those who had lesser exposure to sunlight were light-skinned, while groups of Neanderthals who were exposed to harsher sunlight turned darker.An adult caveman was anywhere from 4.9–5.9 ft (1.5–1.8 m) in height. This is based on some of the long bones of Homo Neanderthalensis species that were excavated. Wondering why the Neanderthal race had shorter lower limb extremities and a shorter height? A longer body will get colder faster, while a more compact body will be able to retain body heat better! Though shorter in height, these hunter-gatherers had extreme powers in their arms and legs so that they could run and hunt for food. Hence, the Stone Age people had to handle the extreme cold, and hence their muscles were massive to act as a protective layer against the cold.The brain of an average Neanderthal man was 98 cu in (1605.9 cu cm) for men and 79 cu in (1294.6 cu cm) for women. The average brain size of modern humans is about 78 cu in (1278.2 cu cm) for men and 69 cu in (1130.7 cu cm) for women. Even though the brain size of the homos was large, most of the brain’s muscles had to work on maintaining the body and handling extreme temperatures.Caveman LifestyleUnlike what people assumed initially, the Neanderthal groups were sophisticated and quite intelligent. This is reflected in their lifestyles very clearly. Here is a list of interesting Neanderthal lifestyles you must read about.The Neanderthals were majorly found in Europe, southwest Asia, the Altai mountains, and Uzbekistan. These Stone Age people are the closest ancient relatives of humans who have left behind their DNA and their habits for modern humans. In fact, humans (Homo sapiens) and Neanderthals belong to the same Homo genus and lived in close proximity in western Asia for about 20,000 years.The humans in Africa during this period had better choices of food, while the Neanderthals had to manage with limited choices, especially during winters. This also played a role in human evolution, preferring the Homo sapiens over the Neanderthals.Some experts are of the opinion that the cave bears of that age declined largely because the Neanderthals were quick to occupy the caves available and either kill or chase them away. Also, studies show that the Neanderthals had a complex food gathering and storing habit. They grow and collect seasonal plants, store them in specific caves, and then move on. They come back to this cave after a while to consume their stored delicacies.Homo neanderthalensis groups were alpha predators. Their hunting skills were advanced for that age, and they used traps, projectile tools, or pursuit to capture their prey. Red deer were the most hunted species in the world. The Neanderthals also enjoyed rabbits and tortoises too. The meat was the major source of protein for the Neanderthal group. The fecal matter of the Neanderthals that were dated back to 50,000 years was found in Spain and the remains of the stomach contents show a majority of meat and plants.History shows that the Neanderthals made the oldest known cave paintings. There is proof of this on three different Spanish sites. One of the oldest known cave paintings was of a ladder and was created by Neanderthals. The Neanderthals started doing cave paintings even before Homo sapiens reached Europe. Some of the sample cave paintings seen in the Spanish sites are ladders, handprints, and dot and circular shapes. Some experts suggest that the cave paintings of Neanderthals show their interest in art as they try to evolve as intelligent species.Caveman Clothes And HabitsSome experts argue that the Neanderthals did not clothe themselves and were happy without these covers. Others are of the opinion that they had started making clothes using animal skin by that period. If the Neanderthal group used clothes, then they were mostly made out of animal hides. They had the ability to shear animal skin, dry it, and use it as a cover to protect themselves from the harsh climate.Did you know that these folks from the early Stone Age used colored ochre as decoration? The colored ochre was used on the body and on the animal skin to bring some color to the appearance. Ochre is an earth pigment made of clay and is naturally colored.Some controversial beliefs amongst experts are that these prehistoric humans, who considered themselves higher in rank than others, wore decorative accessories like feathers and leopard skin. There have also been artifacts discovered that resemble jewelry made from bird bones and shells that the Neanderthals used. Some studies also support the evidence that early humans were very creative and picked up unique shaped objects on their way and converted them into jewelry of different kinds.Stone Age people were not only able to make controlled fire but use it very effectively to cook food, get warm, and make weapons and tools.Some studies say that Homo sapiens transmitted some of the diseases of Africa to the Neanderthals, and this may have been a reason why they became extinct. Another reason why the Neanderthals became extinct was climate change. Random changes in climate caused problems in fertility and habitation, and this quickly led to lower numbers of the homo Neanderthalensis species.Did you know that the Neanderthals and the Denisovans are more closely related than the Neanderthals and modern humans? The Denisovans are another group of humans that originated from Siberia. Also, the Neanderthals inbred extensively with the Homo sapiens.Did you know that the homo antecessor was the last common ancestor of modern humans and the Stone Age people? Some studies show that in total, about 20% of gene variants survived and can still be detected in modern humans, especially in Africa and Eurasia. There are four cave exhibits in Gibraltar that offer amazing insights into how the Neanderthals survived. These cave exhibits have now got UNESCO World Heritage Status.Caveman Weapons And ToolsOne of the main successes of the Neanderthals was their ability to make stone weapons and tools. The Stone Age began officially when these prehistoric humans started using stone to make various tools and weapons.One of the earliest tools used by the Neanderthals was the Mousterian projection point, which came from the Mousterian industry. It is to be noted that Homo sapiens also used the same tool for hunting. It resembled a sharp stone that could be thrown from a distance. Like the early humans, the Stone Age people also created stone tools to be used for domestic purposes. There are remains of punching holes that could make holes in animal hides to stitch clothes, scrapers, and burins, which are hand-held Stone Age tools that were used for carving or engraving.Although these distinct species of homo groups used dart-like weapons to kill animals and birds that were fleeting, they did not use other long-ranged weapons like spears or javelins that the early humans learned to use. Though the historic human race and the Neanderthals lived during similar periods, one reason why the modern humans evolved by the Neanderthals perished was the lack of modern weaponry that the former managed to acquire.The Earth has seen a lot of interesting changes, but nothing as exciting as the life of the Neanderthals of the Stone Age. Unfortunately, this species couldn’t survive, and sometime during the Upper Paleolithic Period, the entire species was replaced by what would become the ancestors of the modern human race. The modern human race is considered to be very superior to the Neanderthal race, having learned from their mistakes, and working on their skills.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 21 curious cavemen facts that reveal about Stone Age and early humans, then why not take a look at 41 Ancient Greece Sparta facts: details on Spartan warriors for kids, or Luxembourg flag meaning, history facts revealed for kids?
The Stone Age is a period that lasted for about 3.4 million years and ended somewhere between 4000 BC and 2000 BC.
