Although direct evidence of Neanderthal clothing is scarce due to its organic nature, the presence of hide scrapers, awls, and bone tools suggests they fashioned garments from animal skins. These clothes were crucial for survival in frigid environments. Some researchers believe Neanderthals may have layered clothes or used tailored hide wraps to retain heat. Despite their robust, powerful bodies, Neanderthals were not nomadic wanderers in the same way Homo sapiens later became. Instead, they practiced seasonal mobility, revisiting familiar locations year after year.
This method minimized risk and allowed them to fully exploit known landscapes—hunting grounds, water sources, and raw material sites for toolmaking. Though once thought incapable of artistic expression, recent discoveries suggest Neanderthals had a symbolic world more sophisticated than previously imagined. Certain cave sites contain geometric markings—lines, dots, and shapes—that date back to before modern humans arrived in the region. While interpretations vary, these could represent early forms of communication or abstract thought.
