Neanderthal versus Cro-Magnon, Part 1

Lester always excelled in public school education, from elementary school through college.  So it was only natural that he would be considered for one of the Sky People’s exploratory projects.  He was selected at an early age to be transported in time to become part of a futuristic trip to travel back into time. Captain Benedict Arnold was briefed on this Overseer’s project by the committee on the Stargazer Fleet.  “Lester is a good candidate for this mission due to his higher cognitive skills he possesses on Earth,” said a secret committee member.  “We will program him in the dream state, and when he wakes up he will remember nothing but the dream. He will witness all of the same events that all the crew members will witness, and when he becomes an adult, he will write about his experience as though he were doing a research paper.”

This paper was written by Dr. Lester D., who has a Ph.D. degree in languages.  Dr. D. is fluent in French, German, Russian, and English.  His minor was in Mathematics where he excelled in all the forms of higher mathematics involving quantum physics.  This paper was a combination of actual events and perhaps some research skills done by Dr. D. on the theory of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon species to help advance the earthlings’ skills on the Evolutionary Theories of Mankind!

“Warp speed through nebulous galaxy number four,” was the command given by Stargazer Fleet explorer Capt. Benedict Arnold.  “We will commence deceleration into Mach 7 speed and come into lunar orbit of the Earth’s gravitational pull at approximately 3-G’s. Cut all power and re-enter into the stealth glide mode. We will glide into Earth’s gravitational pull on the third rotation. We will land in a place called Europe in the year 150,000 BC, during a glacial period of Earth time.”  “I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment,” said Officer Steinbeck, “at least since I graduated from Galaxy Andromeda College.”  “What was the year of your stellar class graduation?”  “We were future Galaxy Cadets from the Academy class of light-year three!” he exclaimed.  “When we land, I want you to gather a crew of four members including yourself, to do an exploratory evaluation of the terrain and the conditions in which a species of earthlings called Neanderthals live. We will observe their habits, customs and mating rituals to see if they cohabitate with another species of earthlings called Cro-Magnon.”  “Yes Sir, replied Emerald Grade Kent. What would be the duration of our exploratory mission, so I can order the necessary supplies?”  “We will observe from the invisibility mode and make camp nearby or maybe even inside one of their caves. Take whatever supplies you deem necessary for at least two weeks of observation.

When the spacecraft landed on Earth, it was within visual distance of a small tribe of Neanderthals living in a nearby cave.  With the stealth-mode capabilities, the spacecraft was invisible, and there was no sound to disturb the atmosphere.  In reality the spacecraft and its inhabitants were in another dimension of time.  Officer Steinbeck and his crew were ready to exit the craft and begin to observe the Neanderthal tribe.  Each member of the crew was equipped with a form of video helmet that was capable of 360° of panoramic view.  The cameras were on automatic focus for both telescopic and macro adjustments.  A sound system recorded conversations of the space crew and any environmental sounds nearby.  A receptacle was carried to store small objects for later observation on the ships observatory lab.  When the crew had set up inside the cave, each man was assigned a certain location to photograph and record any action or sound possible.  Officer Steinbeck stood at the opening of the cave, giving signals to each crew member like a director in an old Hollywood movie set.  There were twelve creatures inhabiting the cave at this particular time.  Also observed were what appeared to be eight young couples of men and women. There were also three smaller individuals and one older being.

Officer Steinbeck began to dictate to the crew while observing how the crew members focused on subjects they were talking about.  “I want you to scan the cave and focus on the object that I am talking about at the time,” said Officer Steinbeck.  “From my observation point with our laser measuring device, the Neanderthal creatures appear to be less than 6 feet tall. They all seem to have a muscular, stocky build, with a large rib cage. There seems to be hair covering most of their body, including their face. They all have somewhat of a Mongolian look with forward-protruding bone above their eyebrows. They have a well-developed jaw and large, powerful hands. Each hand has a prehensile thumb that is used for holding and grabbing things. Most of the inhabitants are covered with some kind of goat skin or some other kind of animal skin. There is a fire burning in the cave, so they probably have the ability to make fire. One of the younger men of the tribe is field-dressing some kind of animal, possibly a deer. Another member is in the process of making spear points or some other kind of weapon. One of the female species is nursing a baby wrapped in an animal skin. They seem to be able to communicate with each other using some kind of high-pitch sounds made from the throat. There possibly may be some other forms of communication using hand signals.”  As a camera in the cave panned in another direction, it stopped on a pile of rocks.  Officer Steinbeck observed, “This may be a primitive burial site of one or more of their dead. Some of the women are preparing a meal while other women look like they are stitching some kind of animal fur together to make a large blanket or something. There are many strange sounds coming from the outside of the cave. There are many predators that are large enough and capable enough to attack the beings in the cave if they’re hungry enough or if the entrance is left unguarded. There are many pole spears near the entrance of the cave or within easy reach of most of the inhabitants. Some of their weapons consist of a crude form of stone hatchets. Large spear points are secured by sinew wrapped around long poles. These spears seemed to be held in readiness for attacking animals that may enter the cave or for some future hunting of large animals. Skinning knives, battering clubs, and large jagged rocks are piled in the center of the cave. These objects could be used for throwing from high above the entrance to stop the attacking animals. The weapons may be taken on hunting trips.”  Officer Steinbeck instructed, “Tomorrow when it gets light, we will follow the tribe members as they gather food and necessary equipment to survive in the cave.”

It was a bitter cold morning as the four adult tribesmen stepped out of the cave.  Each man was equipped with several animal hides that covered most of his body including his head.  Their feet and legs were wrapped in some kind of boot-like footwear that seemed to be suitable for walking in the snow.  Each tribesman was equipped with a spear pole that was a foot taller than the hunter who carried it.  The spear point was made from an obsidian substance that had a razor-sharp edge chipped into shape by someone with many years of experience.  The 8-inch blade was wedged into a split pole and wound with some form of sinew until it was held tightly in place.  A large battering club was carried by some hunters.  The club appeared to be a bone of some huge animal’s skeleton.  A fresh coat of snow had fallen during the night.  There was a multitude of animal tracks clearly visible in the fresh snow.  Because the cave was located on the edge of a small cliff, it was easy to track the animal footprints that led down the side of the mountain into a small plateau below. The tribe members crawled to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the animals that were foraging for food below.  A series of whistles and high-pitch sounds were directed into some form of plan.  The hunters spread out and seemed to focus their attention on one large, hairy animal which had a pair of long, curved tusks.  

Once again Officer Steinbeck began to supervise his crew members.  “I want all the cameras focused on that crevice that leads to the plateau below. If I’m guessing right, they will ambush that large animal as it passes directly below them.”  The crew watched as the hunters began to assemble large boulders near the edge of the cliff.

(Part One of the novella by George F. Kohn, author of Holiday Favorites series available on Amazon.com)

For the rest of the story, order your copy of Neanderthal versus Cro-Magnon, published for Kindle e-readers and paperback.  Amazon search: Holiday Favorites by George F. Kohn.)