La Chapelle-aux-Saints is an archaeological rockshelter in southern France, where a relatively complete skeleton of single elderly male Neanderthal was found in 1908. The man was buried with chert and flint tools and a bison leg placed on his chest. The skeleton shows pronounced osteo-arthritis, probably related to some heavy carrying activity which took place during the man's life.
The Neanderthal skeleton, called the "Old Man of La Chapelle", was investigated by French paleontologist Pierre Marcellin Boule, who reconstructed the Neanderthal as a hulking beast, in part because of his bent stature. Recent investigation on the Old Man, including close examination of his post-cranial skeleton and a century of additional research elsewhere, has removed much of the stereotype of the Neanderthal created by Boule's reconstruction.
Eric Trinkaus' re-examination revealed that the "Old Man" was a prime-age adult male, of average height and stature, compared to other Neanderthals found in the century since Boule's reconstruction, and not much different from large early modern humans.
La Chapelle-aux-Saints skeleton, which dates to the Middle Paleolithic between 40,000-60,000 years ago, is believed by some scholars to be evidence of purposeful burial by Neanderthals; and it is one of the fairly rare examples cited as evidence that Neanderthals buried one another and therefore had human-like rituals.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to the Neanderthals and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
Dawson JE, and Trinkaus E. 1997. Vertebral Osteoarthritis of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 Neanderthal. Journal of Archaeological Science 24:1015–1021.
Serre D, Langaney A, Chech M, Teschler-Nicola M, Paunovic M, Mennecier P, Hofreiter M, Possnert G, and Pääbo S. 2004. No Evidence of Neandertal mtDNA Contribution to Early Modern Humans. PLoS Biology 2(3):313-317.
Tappen NC. 1985. The dentition of the old man of La Chapelle-aux-Saints and inferences concerning Neandertal behavior. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 67 (1):43-50.
Tappen NC. 1973. Structure of bone in the skulls of Neanderthal fossils. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 38(1):93-97.
Trinkaus E. 2011. The postcranial dimensions of the La Chapelle-aux-saints 1 Neandertal. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 145(3):461-468.
Trinkaus E. 1985. Pathology and the posture of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 67 (1):19-41.
