Neanderthals and us: Towards a philosophy of deep history

How did Neanderthals experience their world, compared to their Sapiens contemporaries, who entered what is now Europe around 42 000 years ago? Was their way of thinking, their “manner of being in the world”, as archaeologist Ludovic Slimak (2023) phrases it, comparable, or significantly different? And why would we want to reconstruct how Neanderthals experienced the world in the deep past? Is it to compare “us” with “them”, or is it to better understand our complex deep history? Is it to draw comparisons and contemplate on what sets “us” apart, adopting an essentialist approach? Or is it rather to document and enhance our understanding of the intricate narrative of our ancient origins, without the necessity of measuring ourselves against our forebears? Such questions seem difficult to answer, but against the backdrop of three decades of highly productive Neanderthal research they do emerge, both among philosophers and among paleo-archaeologists. One of our arguments will be that these questions can best be addressed in dialogue, so that paleo-archaeologists and philosophers join forces and work together. In this contribution we will outline some ideas which philosophy has to offer to the debate, while drawing attention to current paleo-archaeological discussions and the type of data archaeologists may provide. Finally, we will elaborate on the strengths and benefits of a philosophy paleo-archaeology dialogue.