High notes of the singing Neanderthals

http://www.timesonline.co.uk ^ | 01/30/05 | Jonathan Leake

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

NEANDERTHALS have been misunderstood. The early humanoids traditionally characterised as ape-like brutes were deeply emotional beings with high-pitched voices. They may even have sung to each other, writes Jonathan Leake.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

The new image has emerged from two studies of the vocal apparatus and anatomy of the creatures that occupied Europe between 200,000 and 35,000 years ago.

Neanderthal voices were loud, womanly and probably highly melodic — not the roars and grunts previously assumed by most researchers. Stephen Mithen, professor of archeology at Reading University and author of one of the studies, said: “What is emerging is a picture of an intelligent and emotionally complex creature whose most likely form of communication would have been part language and part song.”

Mithen is giving a seminar on his findings at University College London next week and will publish a book, The Singing Neanderthal: The Origin of Language, Music, Body and Mind, in June.

He studied the Neanderthal voice box and compared it with those of modern humans, monkeys and apes to work out what noises they might have made. “They must have been able to communicate complex ideas and even spirituality. Their anatomy suggests that pitch and melody would have played a key role,” he said.

Mithen’s work coincides with the first detailed study of a reconstructed Neanderthal skeleton. Anthropologists at the American Museum of Natural History in New York brought together bones and casts from several sites to re-create the creature.

Gary Sawyer, the researcher who oversaw the project, will describe the results in Horizon on BBC2 on February 10. The creature that emerges bears marked differences to humans. Neanderthals seem to have had an extremely powerful build and no discernible waist.

Professor Trenton Holliday of Tulane University in New Orleans believes they evolved their stocky body shapes to conserve heat when ice covered the world.

“A short compact body with a voluminous chest would retain heat better in a cold environment,” he said.

[KMC1]

"Ape-like brutes"... you mean they were studying Kennedy and Kerry?

[Yankee]

Finally! An explanation for Michael Bolton.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I just pictured captain Caveman singing a little ditty...

[BigCinBigD]

I highly resent my people being referred to as "creatures." :oP

[Socratic]

"The hills are alive with the sound of cavemen,
with songs they have sung for 10,000 years."

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Thats the ditty! :o)

[Socratic]

"Thats the ditty!"

I just knew it.

[ElkGroveDan]

deeply emotional beings with high-pitched voices. They may even have sung to each other,

Sounds like they were the first metrosexuals.

[Lester Moore]

He studied the Neanderthal voice box and compared it with those of modern humans, monkeys and apes to work out what noises they might have made. “They must have been able to communicate complex ideas and even spirituality. Their anatomy suggests that pitch and melody would have played a key role,” he said.

So which monkey is singing spiritual songs that led him to deduce this?

[aroostook war]

I was thinking the Boss.

[Verginius Rufus]

At times like this I really regret that Gary Larson isn't still doing Far Side cartoons...he had some classics featuring Neanderthals and assorted cavemen.

[ARCADIA]

So which monkey is singing spiritual songs that led him to deduce this?

???? I think that he is trying to make monkies of us. The next thing that he will tell us is that the males wore lipstick.

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP - Neanderthal

[Kirkwood]

They would have been perfect for Monty Python skits.

[sandbar]

>I just pictured captain Caveman singing a little ditty...

OH MY GOSH!! I completely forgot Captain Caveman! I wonder why that oldy but goody hasn't graced my children's cartoon channels yet?

[DannyTN]

What do you do with a problem like Neanderthal?

[Between the Lines]

Modern day Neanderthal?

[I still care]

I guess these guys have been watching too many Geico commercials.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]