Neandertal
The
Neandertal, also called in English the
Neander Valley, is a small valley of the river Düssel in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 12 km east of Düsseldorf, the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia. The valley belongs to the area of the towns Erkrath and Mettmann. In 1856, the area became famous for the discovery of Neanderthal 1, the first specimen of
Homo neanderthalensis to be found. Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann The Neandertal was originally a limestone canyon widely known for its rugged scenery, waterfalls and caves. However, industrial mining during the 19th and 20th centuries removed almost all of the limestone and dramatically changed the shape of the valley. It was during such a mining operation that the bones of the original Neanderthal man were found in a cave. Neither the cave nor the cliff in which it was located exists anymore. During the 19th century the valley was called
Neandershöhle, and after 1850
Neanderthal. It was named after Joachim Neander, a 17th-century German pastor.
Neander is the Greek translation of his family name
Neumann — both names meaning "new man".