Were our ancestors dumb neanderthals or wise and knowledgeable?

Question

Leading scientists say that we evolved from dumb cavemen but discoveries of Sumerian Clay tablets/Egyptian pyramids show that they were in some ways wiser than we are.

How do we reconcile this anomaly?

Answer 1

Leading scientists are not always right. Theories that were frowned upon some years ago, are now highly respected among the scientific community. Neanderthals and Cro Magnon or the next step in evolution, were two species that lived at the same time in Europe. Neanderthals died out due to many reasons, one of them is that climate change made them into nomads, they depended on the hunt and what their women were able to collect from the ground. It is hard to know if they were able to develop a language, but they were doomed. Cro magnons were swifter, they had speech they eventually settled down and raised crops and animals, and stopped being nomads, they had more free time to use their creativity, while the Neanderthals spent too much energy just staying alive, although there are some fine examples of their carvings, tools and paintings I do not think they had too much time to dedicate to this activity. My guess is that the Cro Magnons hunted them out of their territories, and being very human, they probably hounded and hunted them into extinction as well.

Later, when humans started to live in towns they got together and made laws and started to specialize in other things, like religion and sciences. Yes we evolved from a very primitive human ancestor, but that is what evolution is all about. I believe they were more in contact with nature than we are right now. We depend too much on machines. Doctors have lost their diagnostic sense because they feel safe and secure in science, technology and machines to treat patients.

Our ancestors evolved and continue to evolve. Their contact with nature led them to incredible reasoning and great things. We seem unable to understand that sometimes the simplest explanation is the usually the right one.

Leading scientists are usually mediocre frustrated guys that seem unable to accept anything new. God help us if we fall into their hands.

By the way, cavemen were not dumb at all, if they had been we would not be here. Also, the time span separating cavemen from Sumerian and Egyptian cultures is quite vast. Your question is out of sync.

Answer 2

Intelligence seems to have developed slowly over time once the hyoid bone sank in our necks. This enabled the increasingly more complex commnication that is the difference between hiding from tigers and talking about preserving their species.

Rather, think about whether the present race of humans is intelligent, and what is to be done to preserve the civilization of which you are so proud.

Answer 3

We weren't actually descended from Neanderthal at all.  Proto Man existed simultaneously with Neanderthal for centuries during the Ice Age.  When Europe thawed proto Man encroached and Neanderthal was wiped out.  How is a matter of contention.

As to your question, there are many anthropologists that believe civilization itself may be older than we once thought.  Digs in the Middle East, particularly Giza have revealed that there may have been forms of architecture and land cultivation happening long before the traditional inception of modern civilization, estimates range from 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Answer 4

First of all, they were not our ancestors.

Second of all the authorities that say what you said are not qualified.

Thirdly, Sumerians were not Neanderthals; they were us, modern man.

Fourthly, Neanderthal had a larger brain that we do but his brain did not have a developed neocortex and processed information differently than we do.

Answer 5

I think that if they we're smart enough to start civilization and built it up and invent things they couldn't of been that dumb.

Answer 6

intuitive

Answer 7

I question your research.  What "scientists" said that cavemen were "dumb?"

Where did you learn that Summerians and Egyptians were cavemen?

No anamoly, just poorly researched "pseudoscience."

Do you have the knowledge of how to track, kill, skin and cook a woolly mammoth, or man-killing predator?

Or, for that matter, do you have the knowledge of how to design, build and operate a nuclear reactor?

If you have neither of these skills, should we consider you a "dumb question asker?"

Answer 8

Dumb by no means. Clever also by no means. A

combination of both. It would have been better if they

were dumb then our civilisation would not have

reached this stage. What have me accomplished.

The powerful wins over the unfortunates. Man has

almost extinguished other species(animals etc)

So how come a few are proud.

Answer 9

Recall, if you will, that "science" is the art of being as little wrong as possible.  When facts appear to contradict science, one or the other is either misinterpreted or incorrect.

I also cannot help but point out that the idea of ancient man being quite intelligent is highly compatible with the Bible.

Answer 10

Have you forgotten - Veer Hanumaan, Ran  theGreat, Lord Krishna etc.

Answer 11

The were just as smart as you or I if we had grown up knowing wilderness survival and never watched TV. The dumb Neanderthal stereotype is just to deny the first 3 million years of human existence before the agricultural revolution turned dominant cultures into empire building monsters. I would also have to discredit the pyramids as a sign of intelligence. OK the geometry and architecture is awesome but, HELLO! they had to enslave thousands to build them.

Answer 12

First, Neanderthals probably weren't our ancestors, but more a sister species.

Second, neither they nor our ancestors were dumb. They could live without stores, and central heating, that you use. You wouldn't know how to do most of what they routinely did.

Sure, they didn't know things we take for granted, but if a lot of people hadn't figured all that stuff out, you wouldn't know it, either.

It's not like you figured out modern medicine and technology all by yourself, was it?

You have given no evidence that the Sumerians or Egyptians were wiser than we, so I don't know what you're referring to.

They had slaves, which isn't wise; we now call it cruel and completely unjustified.

They didn't know about a lot of things that we do (such as the existence of the American continents, or how to get an artificial satellite to orbit over the same spot of Earth -- to name 2 things we know about now).

So, thus far, you haven't said what anamoly needs explaining.

Answer 13

man evolved from monkey

your descendants will evolve better than you and probably answer that question or may just ditch it

there are people who engineered the pyramids and there are people who toiled all their lives without rising in revolt.

here too we have dumbos and better ones. overall we are improving.

Answer 14

Okay, you've got two things wrong here.  First off, Neanderthals were by no means dumb.  Second of all, Sumerians and ancient Egyptians were fully human, not Neanderthals.  Both cultures rose after 8,000 BC.  Homo sapiens was a distinct species by 200,000 BC.

Neanderthals, while they probably didn't have the brain capacity of modern humans, were still quite intelligent.  They were able to manipulate their environment enough to live in cold Europe.  They created quite intricate stone tools, and probably other kinds as well.  They buried their dead and may have had a rich spiritual life as well, as evidenced by flower and ochre remains in the burials.