An important discovery at Kebara Cave
In 1983, archaeologists excavating Kebara Cave on Mount Carmel made a remarkable find. They unearthed a nearly complete Neanderthal skeleton, dated to approximately 60,000 years ago. The skeleton, designated Kebara 2 and nicknamed "Moshe," was missing its cranium and most of its lower limbs but included the torso, pelvis, and something exceptionally rare: a hyoid bone.
The hyoid is a small, U-shaped bone located in the front of the neck, between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. It is the only bone in the human body not articulated to any other bone, held in place only by muscles and ligaments. Its delicate nature and isolated position mean it rarely survives in the fossil record. The discovery of the first-ever Neanderthal hyoid bone, preserved in its original anatomical position, was a significant event in paleoanthropology.
A modern-human hyoid
The Kebara 2 hyoid bone is, in its size and shape, virtually indistinguishable from that of a modern human. This is different from the hyoid of a chimpanzee, which has a different cup-like shape related to the presence of laryngeal air sacs that affect their vocal range. The modern human form of the hyoid appeared at least 530,000 years ago, as evidenced by fossils of the earlier species Homo heidelbergensis found in Spain.
The similarity in external shape alone does not prove identical function. To investigate how the bone was used, a 2013 study employed advanced imaging and modeling techniques. Researchers used micro-CT scans to create a high-resolution 3D model of the hyoid's internal structure. Using finite element analysis, they simulated the mechanical stresses the bone would have experienced from attached muscles during speech-like behaviors. The results showed that the internal architecture and biomechanical performance of the Neanderthal hyoid were very similar to our own. The patterns of stress were consistent with the loads required for producing complex vocal sounds.
The Neanderthal speech debate
The Kebara hyoid provides strong anatomical evidence that Neanderthals possessed the necessary hardware for a vocal range comparable to modern humans. However, the physical capacity for sound production is one component of speech. Language also requires complex neural control over the muscles of the vocal tract and, critically, the cognitive ability for symbolic thought and syntax.
Further evidence comes from genetics. The FOXP2 gene is strongly associated with the fine motor control required for speech. Genetic analysis of Neanderthal remains shows they shared the same two key evolutionary changes in FOXP2 as modern humans. This suggests these genetic traits predate the split between the two lineages, around 300,000 to 400,000 years ago. While the presence of a modern-like hyoid and the human variant of the FOXP2 gene cannot definitively prove Neanderthals had language, they strongly suggest that their vocal anatomy was not a limiting factor.