• Welcome
  • Community
  • Blogs
  • Photos
  • Join
  • Log in
Follow MNN    
MNN - Mother Nature Network - Envrionmental News
improve your world
Friday, February 10, 2012
  • Earth Matters

    Browse All » Animals Weather Energy Politics Space Translating Uncle Sam Wilderness & Resources

  • Health

    Browse All » Allergies Fitness & Well-Being Healthy Spaces

  • Lifestyle

    Browse All » Arts & Culture Travel Natural Beauty & Fashion Recycling Responsible Living

  • GREEN TECH

    Browse All » Computers Gadgets & Electronics Research & Innovations Transportation

  • Eco-Biz & Money

    Browse All » Green Workplace Personal Finance Sustainable Business Practices

  • Food & Drink

    Browse All » Beverages Healthy Eating Recipes

  • Your Home

    Browse All » At Home Organic Farming & Gardening Remodeling & Design

  • family

    Browse All » Babies & Pregnancy Family Activities Pets Protection & Safety

Tweet
Pin It
Email Bookmark and ShareShare
WorldShares lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20 points now.
Learn More

Earn Points
What's this?
MNN.COM›

MNN BLOGGERS

Karl Burkart

Cain and Abel mystery solved?

An archeological dig sheds new light on the rise of Homo sapiens and the fall of the Neanderthals.

Mon, Aug 10 2009 at 12:58 PM EST

Photo: Letid/Flickr
One of the most perplexing (and disturbing) of all the stories in the Old Testament is that of Cain and Abel. Now, evidence from an archeological dig in Iraq exposes a dark secret about our ancient ancestors that may offer a new way to look at the ancient legend.
 
In case you are not familiar with the story know it, it goes like this ...
 
After Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, they have two sons. The first born, Cain, is ambitious and grows up to pioneer a whole new way of living on the earth by learning to till the soil. Cain is, in essence, the father of agriculture. His younger brother Abel is a simpler man who lives his life as a nomadic shepherd. God appears to favor the younger Abel and in revenge Cain commits the world's first murder. Cain kills Abel.
 
It is common knowledge that while the Old Testament is indeed highly metaphorical, it does actually track real historical and geological events. The Garden of Eden with its four rivers did, in fact, exist in southern Iraq and the great flood was real (it may have resulted from an asteroid impacting the earth during the Neolithic Age). The 6 days of creation follows fairly closely with evolutionary theory if one takes a more flexible definition of the hebrew word yom (which can be translated as "day" "month" or "age" depending upon context). And so on...
 
So what about Cain and Abel? Who or what did they represent and what is the significance of the "first murder?"
 
So here's one theory ... what if Cain & Abel actually represented two closely related species — Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis respectively — both of whom descended from a common "father" Adam, the progenitor of the hominid genus? Cain, the elder (sapiens) murders Abel, the younger (neanderthalensis). 
 
This fits with the fossil record of the two species. Homo sapiens is the elder species, emerging about 200,000 years ago while the younger species Homo neanderthalensis emerged about 130,000 years ago. (For a while, scientists believed the Neanderthals were a sub-species of Homo sapiens, but that has also been disproved).
 
Human settlements were also the first to show signs of planned agriculture, while Neanderthals relied upon hunting, gathering and herding for their subsistence.
 
So the Neanderthal-as-Abel theory matches up both with the curious mix of history and metaphor that is Genesis and the fossil record of both species. It also aligns wiith a recent discovery by Duke University of a murdered middle-aged Neanderthal named Shanidar 3.
 
Archeologist Steven Churchill has found evidence that Shanidar 3 was killed about 50,000 to 75,000 years ago. He took a spear in the rib, a spear made by a human. Though the findings are scant, they do nevertheless suggest a theory that humans may have been actively involved in the downfall of the Neanderthal species, their closest resource competitor.
 
For many decades it was believed that humans and Neanderthals had no contact whatsoever. But recent evidence has shown cohabitation, even interbreeding, and now inter-species violence. This is also not the first finding to suggest human-Neanderthal killings. Another male Neanderthal skeleton dating to about 36,000 years ago was found scalped by a human-made weapon.
 
Churchill is careful to state that he is not promoting genocide theory. There is not sufficient evidence to prove widespread human warfare against the Neanderthals. Nevertheless, it should give us pause.
 
As we enter the 6th Mass Extinction, an extinction initiated and perpetrated solely by humans attempting to feed an unending hunger for more and more natural resources, we should remember our lost brother Abel. 
 
When you kill your kin, there are consequences to pay.
 
FACTOID: 7 out of 10 biologists believe that the current mass extinction of plant and animal species (at least three per day) is the greatest threat to the survival of humankind.
 
MNN homepage photo: cjp/iStockphoto
 
CLOSE link:
Previous Post
Waze: Crowdsourced traffic control
   Next Post
Clinton hails 'non-sexy' energy revolution at NCES
You might also like:
Related Topics: Environmental Science, Nature

Comments

Follow this conversation
Add your comment
View:
  • All (2)

anonymous
Anonymous 08/20/2009 01:16 AM

What if humans descended from Neanderthals via a process that (even the smartest) homo sapiens haven't been able to work out?
D J Wray
http://www.atotalawareness.com

  • |
  • Reply
  • report this post 

anonymous
robert 10/09/2010 07:26 AM

at first glance i would say that sapiens has a 'chin' as the species has teeth that have become smaller over countless generations: if you imagine our (Sapiens) teeth to be larger, the 'chin' disappears and you are left with basically the same jaw set up (with minor differences): it appears that our skulls and jaws are the result of a process of neotany (right spelling?) and would suggest Heidelbergensis as a common ancestor for neanderthal and sapiens

  • |
  • Reply
  • report this post 

Add your comment

Sign in with one of these accounts or just add your comment below.
    Log in or
    create an account
     
    Login
Used only for emailed comments and will not be displayed with your post
Notify me with an email when other people comment on this article.
The posting of advertisement, profanity or personal attacks is prohibited.
Click here to review our Terms of Use

tease to ecollywood

tease to squatter

tease to toxic plants for cats

Earn 100 points for signing up for a free iMeet trial now.
JOIN NOW
Sponsored by

ADVERTISEMENT

TOP MEMBERSJoin Now
  • poland.jr
    21026 points
  • ecomainegirl
    9398 points
  • achase
    9323 points
  • LauraB
    5049 points
  • Momof2
    4514 points
All members

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH MNN

Follow @twitterapi
 Tumblr
 Google +
FROM OUR SPONSOR
PGi: Better for your business, better for the planet
#ShiftNYC Opens with a Dialogue on Social Enterprise
Trends show companies are making a shift to incorporate social good into... more >
Is there a telecommuting personality type?
Some individuals may be wired to succeed at working from home while others... more >
Know Your Travel Footprint
Try this handy carbon calculator to find out how your travel can impact the... more >
PGi Green Data Center
Cost Efficiency brings Environmental Savings more >
Victorious Green Interview with Morgan Carey
The following article describes his holistic, healing perspectives on... more >

ADVERTISEMENT



Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Advisory Board
  • Editors' Blog
  • Press
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service
  • WorldShares

MNN Tools

  • Advice
  • Blogs
  • Day in History
  • Eco-glossary
  • Infographics
  • Lists
  • Photos
  • Videos

Connect

  • Community
  • Contact Us
  • Contests
  • Idea Lab
  • Mixed Greens
  • Newsletters
  • Polls
  • RSS

Channels

  • Earth Matters
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Green Tech
  • Eco-Biz & Money
  • Your Home
  • Family
  • State Reports
 

Copyright © 2012 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by CIRRACORE
 
SPONSORS