It would be interesting if it were heidelbergensis, which was more closely related to us (perhaps ancestral) than to Neanderthals.
The consensus seems to be that Neanderthals used the same rather crude stone and bone tools for most of their 500 thousand year history (except for what they cribbed from true humans during their last few thousand years in Europe), while proto-human and human tools became more and more advanced over time. Our ancestors were more innovative thinkers.
Neandertals are among our ancestors.
The Neandertal Enigma"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]
by James Shreeve
in local libraries