They were swimmers

Last week, researchers from Washington University announced they had investigated the ear remains of 23 Neanderthals and found that around half had bony growths that suggested aquatic foraging was a prominent part of their lifestyle. These growths, known as external auditory exostoses, or “surfer’s ear”, are found today in surfers and those who spend time in wet and cold conditions.

They were sprinters

Previously believed to have been endurance runners, it is now thought Neanderthals favoured “more power sprint than endurance jog”, according to Dr John Stewart of the University of Bournemouth. The conclusion was drawn from new evidence that these human ancestors occupied forests rather than tundra, environments that lend themselves to shorter hunts, and from genetic analyses that identified a high proportion of gene variants found in modern-day power-sport athletes.

They were artists

The oldest cave paintings in the world were found last year in Spain, dated to 65,000 years ago, more than 20,000 years before modern humans arrived in Europe. The artworks, which included pictures of animals and geometric signs, have been attributed to Neanderthals, the only people on the continent at the time.

They made jewellery

Eagle talons found at a Neanderthal site in Croatia displayed cut marks and wear patterns that suggest these were worn as jewellery; beads, shells and feathers that would have been threaded into necklaces have also been unearthed at other sites. David Frayer at the University of Kansas views this as clear evidence that Neanderthals made and wore personal ornaments, with no evident practical use.

They built fires

Andrew Sorensen and his colleagues at Leiden University in the Netherlands, found a dozen Neanderthal flint axes had micro scratches on their flat sides, suggesting they were used to start fires when struck against pyrite.