However, researchers from the University of York in England, studying burial practices of Neanderthals, particularly the bones of children and adolescents, say the Neanderthal society was close-knit, caring and complex. In all, Neanderthals made fine parents.
They cared for their children, teaching them what they needed to know. They also cared for the injured and sick, and when Neanderthals died - particularly children and infants - they were buried with care and respect.
Neanderthal infant corpses were the focus of explicit attention. More than a third of Neanderthal graves found contain children under the age of four, typically showing great care in their burials. Some were buried with objects, including flint scrapers, a principal tool. Many had what appears to be ceremonial animal bones laid out carefully around the body. Even the places the bodies were buried showed care, often naturally occurring rock fissures or crevices.
Read more about this fascinating study here.
Photo Credit: BBC.co.uk