Holding a pigment-stained shell from Cueva de los Aviones made me rethink Neanderthal brains
I used to scoff at anyone suggesting Neanderthals had symbolic culture, labeling it as soft-hearted speculation. My perspective shifted during a research trip to Spain, where I personally analyzed the ochre-coated marine shells from that cave. Under the microscope, the deliberate application of pigment was undeniable, not some natural accident. I had built my career on the brute-force image of Neanderthals, so this evidence felt like a personal affront. Confronting the burial goods at La Chapelle-aux-Saints further dismantled my entrenched views. Now, I aggressively challenge colleagues who cling to the primitive narrative without engaging with the material record. This isn't academic politeness; it's a demand for rigor. We are guilty of crafting a past that comforts our superiority, and it has to stop.