And the Shanidar Neanderthals were part of it.

The Question of Self-Awareness

One dimension of the Shanidar burial debate that is rarely discussed explicitly, but that underlies much of the argument about what the evidence means, is the question of Neanderthal self-awareness and theory of mind.

Theory of mind — the ability to attribute mental states to others, to understand that other beings have beliefs, desires, and perspectives distinct from one’s own — is considered a foundational component of human social cognition.

It is what allows us to empathize, to cooperate, to deceive, and to imagine what the world looks like from another person’s position.