Figure 3. The first reconstruction of Neanderthals based off of the remains at La Chapelle-aux-Saints (Schaaffhausen, 1888).

Climate and Environment

Another misconception of Neanderthals is that they lived in very cold, harsh environments. This is partially true. Ice Ages are generally considered to be a period of time with glacial landscapes and freezing temperatures. However, there have been drastic changes in in the climate from bitterly cold periods to a mild climate; occasionally it got as warm as it is today (BBC, 2005; Mayell, 2004). Primitive Neanderthals lived during the Riss (Illinoian) glaciation. At this time, ice sheets were flowing from the north and mountain glaciers were flowing down from the Alps. These ice sheets and glaciers were too dangerous to cross, so early Neanderthals were more or less trapped on small patches of land in Europe that had a tundra environment. The Riss (Illinoian) glaciation ended 125,000 years ago and was followed by a period of interglaciation (R/W or Sangamon) that lasted 50,000 years. During this period of interglaciation, glaciers shrank, sea-level rose, and northern latitudes became more habitable (Tattersall and Schwartz, 2000).

Roughly 75,000 years ago, glaciers began to grow again; this marks the beginning of the Würm (Wisconsin) glaciation. At first, this glaciation did not seem severe; summers were cold and rainy and winters were snowy. Glaciers continued to grow and the cold intensified. A tundra environment spread to the south and covered parts of present day France and Germany and small sections of Asia and the Middle East. In these areas, snow and ice covered the ground for most of the year. When the snow and ice melted, areas with low elevations were flooded. Summer temperatures rarely rose above 50°F (Constable, 1973). As the glaciers grew, some Neanderthals migrated to the Levant. The Levant is a region that includes parts of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt (Zimmer, 2005). The environment here consisted of open grasslands with lakes and ponds. Summers were generally sunny and mild and winters were cold and snowy. Other Neanderthals migrated into the mountainous areas in southern Asia. After leaving the mountains, Neanderthals encountered arid environments (Constable, 1973).

Neanderthal diet was based on the region in which they lived. In glacial or tundra environments, they hunted reindeer, woolly rhinoceros, and mammoths. Due to the intense cold, vegetation was scarce. Those that lived around the Mediterranean Sea, where the climate was cool and dry, could utilize the conifers, heather, and juniper found in the region. They hunted elephants, horses, and goats and may have eaten fish or shellfish. At streams and springs found along the edges of deserts, Neanderthals ate gazelles, antelope, and Cape buffalo. Those that lived in open grassland areas hunted zebras, giraffes, hippopotamus, baboons, and apes. Those living near rainforests may have foraged for vegetables, but it is believed they did not hunt here because it would have been impossible to accomplish with their style of hunting (Constable, 1973).