Neanderthal theory of Indoeuropeans
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Another solution – dig more rooms near the existing. The whole cave cities are well known in Cappadocia and other places.
Kaymakli caves.
Also monks later made their monasteries this way in the soft stones. One such underground city existed under Tutal rocks at the bank of the Tom river in West Siberia. Rumors tell about kilometres of underground tunnels. Many children were lost in these caves so they were blown up in 1964.
When archeology discusses Neanderthals and modern humans, they are considered separately. For example, in the Near East, some sites were occupied by both species sequentially. It is supposed by default that one of them abandoned this place, then the other came to it without contact. Meanwhile, besides genetics, such contacts were directly recorded elsewhere. Chatelperronian culture is transitional from Neanderthal to Cromagnon. This may indicate that they lived together. Also, modern humans from Kostenki, Russia lived in typical Neanderthal dwellings. They were made of large bones covered with skins.
Prehistoric Siberia was intensively studied by academician Okladnikov. There is a chain of large cities along 56 parallel. This is the latitude of Moscow and is considered optimal for dwelling. Not too hot and not too cold. Linguistics points at 2 outstanding ethnic groups.
South Ural and adjacent lands were a traditional Tatar area. Science tells that they are a Turkic people, belonging to the language family which emerged at the beginning of Common Era. Meanwhile Greek mythology knows them much longer.
The other group is represented by the Yenisseian language family which dwelled at the eastern shores of the West Siberian sea. This family is much more ancient and retained well known names such as Arins and Kets.
Ket people.
Hittites (Khets) created a famous empire on the territory of Asia Minor. Where did they come from? This event is encircled in mystery. The conquerors retained old names of the previous Hatti and even seemingly adopted their culture. How to explain such respect? Pronunciation of Hittites is similar to Kitai, the Russian name for China. Hatti is similar to Yeti. Were Yenissean Kets a very remote spawn of Hittite Empire or maybe both Hatti and Hittites came to Anatolia from South Siberia? The most probable variant is multiple shuttle migrations between these sites.
All these facts make it possible to formulate a hypothesis that what is known as Indoeuropeans was a group of modern humans led by remains of the previous hominids. They had 150 millennia longer human experience, were specifically adapted to northern climate and high mountains so were well suited to form a ruling class over the next generations.
Now let's look how this subgroup evolved further already as a part of Homo Sapiens. The first civilized communities separated into pastoralists and peasants which correspond to hunters and gatherers of Stone Age. Neanderthals were predominantly hunters so they should be linked to the later nomadic herders.
Heirs
Scythians
There was a large group of such people between the Black Sea and Central Asia. Scythians were Iranian-speaking nomads. Iran has prominent Neanderthal sites too. Neanderthals emerged circa 300000 years ago. Just before this time Caspian Sea was dry. Water level dropped 30 – 50 metres below present. Just 2 lakes remained. Rising sea could prompt large-scale migration of previous hominids. Wide area to the East from Caspian presented excellent conditions for prehistoric hunters. There were abundant game and fresh water. Rocky desert supplied stone tools. Hominids dwelled hundreds of thousands of years there.
At the other side of the sea, landscape was formed by 2 lengthy processes. Sea level substantially oscillated over millennia. Simultaneously, the mountains of the Greater Caucasus rose. This was a lengthy process which began 30 Ma BCE, sharply increased 5 Ma BCE and 2.5 Ma BCE when hominids emerged, and continues into the 3 millennium CE. Elbrus and Kazbek are volcanoes.
Mount Elbrus viewed from the south in Russia.
Elbrus erupted 200 Ka, then 33, 21, 8, 6, 5 Ka ago, even possibly 2 and 1 Ka ago.
Kazbek, 5047 m.
Kazbek erupted 40 Ka ago. Oscillating sea level plus the rise of mountains created terraces. They may be elevated up to 400 m, but Dagestan has many terraces above this. They are artificial and were created for agriculture in the range from 900 to 2400 m above sea level, that is in cold zone. Human agriculture started here in the 3 or 2 millennium BCE, well after Neanderthals. Nevertheless somebody taught humans how to do it.
Ruins of ancient Vainakh settlement with agricultural terraces behind.
This is remains of terraces in Ingushetia. Mountains are even higher here.
Claims that agriculture began some 10 Ka in South East Anatolia are disputable. Aboriginal tribes of Brazilian rainforest practice a primitive form of agriculture by taking care of local plants. This could start much earlier. At the end of the 20 century, terrain at Gobekli Tepe looked as desert.
Gobekli Tepe.
What could exist in this region – a large-scale cult which taught and disseminated plant cultivation. Foothills of the Caucasus near Caspian sea are also arid, but a narrow strip along the coast hides a miracle. There is true rainforest here. Thick oak trees are intertwined by lianas.
When such strips were elevated to the next stair of the terrace, the forest died and created a thick layer of fertile soil. European Neanderthals were inventors. They tried to create an artificial environment in harsh climate. In Europe it was cold. Here – drought, but mountains can supply water. Find it and you will revive green nature.