The Old Man

The skeleton of this Neanderthal shows indications of various diseases such as periodontitis and arthritis as well as numerous bone fractures. Since this was not taken into account at the time of the specimen’s initial description at the beginning of the 20th century, these features were misinterpreted and gave rise to the image of the Neanderthal as a stooped, primitive “savage.” The “Old Man of La Chapelle aux Saints” was only about 40 to 50 years old. For a human during the Ice Age, however, this already constituted a very advanced age. The man’s ailments clearly show that he could never have survived this long without the help of his clan.