Better Living Through Neanderthal Chemistry

Archaeology ^ | Tuesday, March 01, 2016 | editors

[SunkenCiv]

Scientists from Leiden University and Delft University of Technology think that Neanderthals that lived at the site of Pech-de-l'Azé some 50,000 years ago may have used manganese dioxide to help kindle their fires. It had been thought that the blocks of manganese oxides found at Neanderthal sites in France were used for body decoration, but soot from their fires would have been readily available for use as a dark pigment. Why would Neanderthals go to the trouble to collect this mineral? Peter J. Heyes, Konstantinos Anastasakis, Wiebren de Jong, Annelies van Hoesel, Wil Roebroeks, and Marie Soressi found that although manganese dioxide is a non-combustible material, when ground into a powder and sprinkled on wood, it lowers the auto-ignition temperature of the wood and makes it easier to start a fire. The researchers suggest that the use of manganese dioxide for lighting fires provides new insight into Neanderthal cognitive capabilities. They also note that manganese dioxide is used today to make batteries.

[SunkenCiv]

The Neandertal Enigma
by James Shreeve
in local libraries

"Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2016/02/neanderthals-collected-manganese-dioxide-to-make-fire

[SunkenCiv]

[Larry Lucido]

[Larry Lucido]

One more. :-)

[wildbill]

Manganese dioxide was one of the earliest natural substances used by human ancestors. It was used as a pigment at least from the middle paleolithic. It was possibly used first for body painting, and later for cave painting. Some of the most famous early cave paintings in Europe were executed by means of manganese dioxide.

“Oog, you know that colored powder you’ve been using to paint the walls with those cute animals for your daughter’s niche and for body paint? Well, I’ve been trying to make batteries with it to light this dump, but no use.

However, some spilled on the firewood and it caught fire right away. By using the scientic method, I was able to replicate the results every time. Do you realize what this means?

“Oog catch fire from body paint?”

MORAL: sometimes a mysterious powder found in the remains of a fire is just a spill.

[Beowulf9]

Sprinkle it on wood and then what? Rub the sticks together and they ignite?

[bkopto]

Actual book at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Caveman-Chemistry-Projects-Creation-Production/dp/1581125666

[fishtank]

http://creation.com/ancient-civilizations-and-modern-man

[cassiusking]

That video lets you see the grinding marks from when they worked the stones to make powder

[Larry Lucido]

Hmmm. A lot of discussion about manganese around here lately:

Light and manganese to discover the source of submerged Roman marble

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3398083/posts

[bunkerhill7]

Actually manganese ore + iron ore = steel in a fired.

Neanderthals invented steel for cooking pots and pans, which was copied by the Cromags who used it to make swords and wiped out them Neanders...

[uglybiker]

[Mariner]

Fascinating.

There's no archaeological record of modern man using these rocks to make fire easier.

Maybe Neanderthals were not dumb or inferior cognitively to man.

I suspect their small numbers were destroyed, mostly, by diseases they had no immunity to.

[Mariner]

"Rub the sticks together and they ignite?"

Powder, wood shavings and flint.

And it's portable.

[gleeaikin]

Here is further information regarding Neanderthals and how we may be able to determine the epigenetics which enables identical genes to create different physical features. They suggest that Alzheimers was new to homo sapiens. I have a theory that Alzheimers was a positive genetic development that caused elderly tribespeople to wander away when hungry, thus leaving more food for their children and grandchildren. I can imagine a tribesperson going out into a cold night to pee and then wandering off to look for food and freezing to death. My late husband’s greatest wandering took place when he was hungry, and while he still had strength and was not yet incontinent. I always had to urge him to keep me company in the kitchen, and feed him little nibbles while I rushed to get the meal on the table.

[SunkenCiv]

There’s never been any evidence of Neandertal inferiority, that began as an invention of R. Virchow, and along with complete replacement by the master race has been enshrined by the unreconstructed darwin worshippers of the UK and beyond.

[SunkenCiv]

Interesting!

[SunkenCiv]

:’D

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!