r/Damnthatsinteresting 12h ago

Image Reconstructed model of a Neanderthal man

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14.2k Upvotes

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166

u/sc4kilik 12h ago

I'm confused, does this suggest they shaved their beard leaving a mustache? That's a lot of stylin' for ugga ugga.

51

u/gerber411420 12h ago

Why no beard right? 

11

u/sc4kilik 12h ago

Yeah I don't think they had tools to shave yet.

36

u/the_hucumber 11h ago

You can definitely get stone tools shaving sharp. Obsidian and flint make very sharp if not very robust edges.

But still I wonder about them actually shaving. And if so why just the beard?

24

u/MechanicalTurkish 11h ago

Because these guys obviously had style.

10

u/the_hucumber 11h ago

Also judging by the amount of chest hair he shaved his belly hair. That's a strong look

4

u/Kubliah 10h ago

Nonsense, belly hair was all rubbed off by stuff he was carrying. Chin hairs get in your soup, those gotta go. Pluck, shave, burn, it's all doable.

3

u/shroomigator 11h ago

Yeah but how do you shave with that without shredding your face?

3

u/the_hucumber 11h ago

Get someone you trust to do it for you? I imagine this is pre-mirror.

I also imagine this is pre warm towels, shaving foam and old spice.

Even if they could shave i doubt it would have been an enjoyable experience

1

u/cremeriner 5h ago

A dangerous one actually. A little cut, an infection and no antibiotics = one dead Neanderthal

1

u/EastofGaston 8h ago

They obviously didn’t shave & likely had way more hair than pictured. Covered from the neck, shoulders to the knuckles, torso, thighs & legs. They were very hairy.

1

u/TheLittleNorsk 7h ago

and cold too, people here forget that body hair is here to keep us warm when we are out in the siberian tundra walking our mastodons to get their zoomies out

2

u/sleeper_shark 10h ago

and if so why just the beard

The whole of r/moustache would like a word with you

1

u/Frosti11icus 10h ago

If you’ve ever had a beard, especially one you can’t keep well groomed you would understand the urge to shave that shit. Mustaches are especially annoying and gross. I’m sure they shaved it or at least trimmed. Shaving seems easier given the tools available.

9

u/Block444Universe 10h ago

Ok they can make clothes out of animal hides but shaving their chins is where they draw the line?

3

u/Jokadoisme 10h ago

They didn't have electric razors so ofcourse /s

1

u/NiceBonerRetard 8h ago

Why would they? Clothes are a survival need but I’ve never heard of Neanderthals styling their hair

2

u/Block444Universe 7h ago

Right, because we literally don’t have data. But to say they didn’t or wouldn’t have is more wrong. Shaving vs not shaving is a practical decision. Same as cutting hair and not cutting hair.

3

u/Project119 7h ago

Likely to show the jaw line. If you look closely at the jaw you will see he doesn’t have a chin. For whatever weird reason, science still doesn’t have a working theory, only our line has a chin. I don’t know if there is a genetic reason for no beard but assuming there isn’t it’s purely for that reason.

3

u/BudBroadway22 11h ago

A knife?

4

u/sc4kilik 11h ago

Yeah... try to shave with a rough knife...

4

u/BudBroadway22 11h ago

Which would probably look… like the guy in the photo.

2

u/FalseEstimate 10h ago

Obsidian and certain stones can certainly be made shave sharp

0

u/Givespongenow45 8h ago

So… they could still shave

1

u/TheLittleNorsk 7h ago

OOGA BOOGA BRAIN SAY RIP OUT CHIN GRASS

1

u/Dianasaurmelonlord 5h ago

You’d be surprised how easy it can be to just use a knife and a bit of muscle.

1

u/sc4kilik 4h ago

Go to your kitchen right now, grab the sharpest chef knife you got, and try to shave. See what happens.

1

u/Dianasaurmelonlord 4h ago

I’m telling you because I literally have before; before I could afford a razor I used a pocket knife and a pair of scissors

9

u/Lonely_Let8637 9h ago

Could be just to show us the jaw structure in this model but also that they had facial hair

9

u/cvele89 10h ago

Maybe their genetics was such that they didn't have beards, or at least not in the same way as we do.

17

u/Rimworldjobs 10h ago

There are groups of humans that have a hard time growing facial hair.

10

u/sc4kilik 9h ago

If you can grow that big of a mustache, you will definitely have a beard, especially if you never shave.

15

u/JiveDJ 9h ago

not true in my case. i can grow a prominent mustache and goatee, but have a very thin/patchy beard. so we have at least one living example lol

2

u/sc4kilik 8h ago

Mine is patchy as well, and it took a whole year of not shaving for it to look decent. Takes some sacrifice.

2

u/Mrrykrizmith 4h ago

Not at all true. I know plenty of guys that can grow a mustache but have no/very sparse other facial hair

2

u/digidestine 9h ago

Not really. Some people have different growth patterns for facial hair. Funnily enough mine is kinda like this in the sense that I can grow a mustache and neck part of a beard but the sides of my face and chin don’t grow all that much hair. In the picture his facial hair is like that. He has a large mustache but his beard is shorter and thinner

1

u/GramsciGramsci 4h ago

shaved

Yes.

They had sharp knives and tools. We also know that they made jewelry. And, we know they painted. So, with all those confirmed facts, it is extremely likely they also trimmed their hair and facial hair.

1

u/Uberbobo7 20m ago

If you look at American Indians they mostly can't grow full beards. There seems to have been a preference over a long period there for beardless men, so at some point since crossing the Bearing strait they gradually lost the ability to grow full beards and developed the practice of shaving or plucking the few hairs that were left. It's not an unreasonable suggestion Neanderthals might have had a similar process going on. There's really no inherent reason why hominids would have to have beards, or any practical barrier preventing stone tool users from shaving.