Neanderthal Knack

We humans have suffered numerous blows to our ego in recent decades, as one of our so-called exceptional qualities after another has been recognized in other animals. First it was the realization years ago that many animals also forge tools—maybe not as complex as our robots and computers—but they are an intentional use of an object (often even constructed by the critter itself) to accomplish a deed that their paws or claws alone could not. 
 
Next it was the ability to self-recognize, such as when we look in a mirror and realize it's our own self, rather than some other being. There are several other examples of barriers being dismantled; barriers that we had come to believe distinguish us from “lower” animals. The message: we are not that far removed from the animal kingdom. 
 
Yet one more blow to the belief in human exclusivity recently landed, when Neanderthal art was discovered in caves in Spain. So why is the discovery of Neanderthal art so unexpected, or even seen as threatening to our superiority, by some people? When the fossil bones of these distant cousins were discovered in the 19^th century in Germany, anthropologists were inclined to deem them as some sort of inferior brute. Otherwise, why would they have gone extinct? 
 
It was known that our direct ancestors, the Cro-Magnon, and Neanderthals co-existed for several thousand years, before the latter died out. We won; they lost. Furthermore, their fossil skeletons showed them to be heavy-browed, stout folks. Weren't they closer to apes than humans? So how can we accept these brutes as being artists?

Let's first consider some background and how we know it was Neanderthals who had the knack to create their own style of cave art. Furthermore, is it art? These recent Spanish cave discoveries have been dated to a time some 25,000 years before our human ancestors even left Africa—during an epoch in which Neanderthals were the sole species of hominid in Europe... the sole European artists, as it now turns out. The paintings are the first example of true Neanderthal art we have found.

Exquisite examples of Cro-Magnon cave art had previously been discovered over many years, in Spain and France. They exhibit a quality that obviously emanates from the human mind—a mind that is highly conscious and reflects upon itself. When we look upon these Cro-Magnon drawings, we find that they evoke deep feelings within us. They are fellow humans.

Gazing upon the recent Spanish cave drawings by Neanderthals, one gets a similar feeling from their art. It may not be as accomplished as Cro-Magnon art, but the paintings surely evoke an intelligent, highly-conscious mind; one that obviously reflected upon itself. These feelings inevitably draw us closer to those Neanderthals who wangled their way into dark cave recesses some 30 to 40,000 years ago and created these works of art. They move us. They truly are art.

Until this recent Neanderthal discovery, we thought that only we Homo sapiens (descended from the Cro-Magnon) were capable of expressing such meaning. Neanderthals were thought to be too primitive. They were artless, because we believed that Neanderthals could not have acquired the necessary cultural self-consciousness to create art. 
 
It will take some time for us to comprehend the significance of these recent cave art discoveries. It's obvious that they demonstrate Neanderthals were capable of creating art. But what did their drawings mean to them? For that matter, we're still trying to comprehend the meaning of Cro-Magnon cave art. These Neanderthal renderings are undeniably art, but why did they do it? Why penetrate deep into caves (without modern battery-powered lights) and create their works in darkness? Had they any idea that their art would survive for so long, to inspire and puzzle future humans?

As we ponder these mysteries—and will probably discover more—the answers may come to us. In the meantime, we can benefit from an appreciation of yet one more connection to our ancient Neanderthal cousins, as well as many non-human species. It tells us there's a gradual blend of capabilities between species—not a stark barrier. Is there not an unbroken path from “primitive” cave art to the Mona Lisa?