For a long time, people have seen Neanderthals to be a brutish and less-intelligent type of hominid. This has been the popular depiction of Neanderthals. With more research, Anthropologists and other scientists are shedding new light on Neanderthals. Neanderthals seem to have a culture as well, as Neanderthals also have their own tourist spot.
Neanderthals have long been shown as lacking in culture and intelligence. That might change though as a place in Jersey has been seen as a possible shrine made by Neanderthals. Evidence shows that the place has been used by Neanderthals as a sort of tourist spot.
Archeologists from the University of Southampton together with other researchers from three other universities and the British Museum are looking at artefacts taken from La Cotte de St. Brelade. The researchers have found that the artefacts come from many generations of Neanderthals travelling to the place. Lead author Dr. Andy Shaw of the Centre for the Archeology of Human Origins (CAHO) at the University of Southampton has observed that generations of Neanderthals have made the pilgrimage to the place.
Much of the land that the Neanderthals have gone through now is underwater though. The Neanderthals have travelled over what is now the English Channel. Possibly many Neanderthal artefacts would have been there that are no longer accessible since they are under water.
From the artefacts available, the researchers have found that Neanderthals keep coming back to the place, according to the University of Southampton's site. Even when the place slowly became warm, Neanderthals still visited the place. Study author Dr. Matt Pope from the Institute of Archeology at University College London has observed that the place could have been an important landmark for Neanderthals in Northern Europe.
Dr. Beccy Scott from the British Museum said that it is still not certain why Neanderthals have seen the place as a possible pilgrimage spot. One reason is that it could be seen for miles, or it could also have been an important shelter. The researchers are still trying to find out what made the place important to Neanderthals.
New technology has also helped researchers. Now they could reconstruct the place much better, as Science Daily reports. This could be crucial in finding out more about Jersey and its surroundings, and why it has become a pilgrimage place for Neanderthals. What could be seen is that Neanderthals also have their own tourist spot, and one that has been important to them. A study has also shown that hominids today can't speak like humans because of a difference in thinking.
