Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Did Neanderthals Have a Feeling of Ownership? I have now collected a good number of Neanderthal stone tools, These from an old collection in France--tools 100,000 years old! I hold each one, and feel how it might have been to skin a Fallow deer. Many made of flint or chalcedony Are more or less attractive in color and shape. Some seem to have been more efficient in their task. Some feel more comfortable when held, ready for the task. From this I wonder if, as we might have behaved, That there were 'favorite' tools, claimed exclusively for ownership. 'No, that is my tool--do not dare touch it.' Did Neanderthals have a feeling of personal possession? We now know they collected objects of 'useless' beauty, Just for the attractiveness of the shell or stone. By discerning beauty, did these people feel ownership Of some of their stone tools? Frank Maurer 3 January 2025 1210 Hours.