You might do a double take looking at this skull because it looks human, but something is just a little bit off. Neandertals (or Neanderthals) were a close human relative who lived in Europe and parts of western Asia from about 400,000 to 40,000 years ago.

They’re known for being robust and stocky, with strong builds adapted to cold climates. Neandertals made sophisticated tools, controlled fire, and even buried their dead, which shows they had some form of culture and possibly language. That last part is the really mind-blowing part of all this.

While it’s impressive that they mastered tools and fire, the ritual burning of their dead gives the strong impression of a people with their own myths, ideas, and ways of being. For something so old and eerily human, it’s a thought-provoking concept that just won’t leave our minds. Who were they, and what did they believe?

While it’s hard to say if we’ll ever have a clear answer, it’s definitely a question that lingers in our thoughts more often than not.

Speaking of being eerily human, Neandertals actually lived alongside early modern humans (Homo sapiens) for thousands of years, and there’s evidence the two groups interbred. In fact, many people today carry a small percentage of Neandertal DNA.

While their culture may be lost to time, a small part of them lives on through us.

It goes without saying that Neandertals are crucial for understanding human evolution and how our species survived and adapted to different environments. They are truly a people lost to the turning of the wheel, their mysteries covered by the sands of time.

Only around 400 Neandertal skulls and partial skulls have been found so far. These fossils come mostly from Europe and western Asia, with key sites including France, Germany, and the Middle East. Fossil remains like these are pretty rare, making adding one to your collection exceedingly difficult.

This replica is a great way to display one and ponder the mysteries linked to it. These replicas are made from casts, photographs, published diagrams, and detailed descriptions. If you already have a human skull in your collection, this is the perfect piece to display alongside it.