Neanderthals not so bad after all
The days of using the term "Neanderthal" as an insult may be on the way out.
A team from the University of York examined archaeological evidence between 500,000 and 40,000 years ago and found early humans such as Neanderthals developed commitments to the welfare of others illustrated by a long adolescence and a dependence on hunting together.
The injured or infirm were routinely cared for.
A Neanderthal with a withered arm, deformed feet and blindness in one eye was cared for, perhaps for as long as 20 years, researchers discovered.