"Basically, I am rehabilitating Neanderthals," said Professor Julien Riel-Salvatore of the University of Colorado in Denver.

"They were far more resourceful than we have given them credit for."

Around 42,000 years ago, the Aurignacian culture attributed to modern Homo sapiens appeared in northern Italy.

Central Italy continued to be occupied by Neanderthals of the Mousterian culture which had been around for at least 100,000 years.

At this time a new culture arose in the south, one also thought to be created by Neanderthals.

They were the Uluzzian and they were very different.

Riel-Salvatore identified projectile points, ochre, bone tools, ornaments and possible evidence of fishing and small game hunting at Uluzzian archeological sites throughout southern Italy.

Such innovations are not traditionally associated with Neanderthals, strongly suggesting that they evolved independently, possibly due to dramatic changes in climate.

More importantly, they emerged in an area geographically separated from modern humans.

"My conclusion is that if the Uluzzian is a Neanderthal culture it suggests that contacts with modern humans are not necessary to explain the origin of this new behaviour," Professor Julien Riel-Salvatore said.

"This stands in contrast to the ideas of the past 50 years that Neanderthals had to be acculturated to humans to come up with this technology."

"When we show Neanderthals could innovate on their own it casts them in a new light."

"It 'humanises' them if you will."

The powerfully built Neanderthals were first discovered in Germany's Neander Valley in 1856.

Exactly who they were, how they lived and why they vanished remains unclear.

Research shows they contributed between 1 and 4 percent of their genetic material to the people of Asia and Europe.

Professor Riel-Salvatore rejects the theory that they were exterminated by modern humans.

Homo sapiens might simply have existed in larger groups and had slightly higher birth-rates.

"It is likely that Neanderthals were absorbed by modern humans," said Professor Julien Riel-Salvatore.

"My research suggests that they were a different kind of human, but humans nonetheless."

"We are more brothers than distant cousins."

Image credit: Christoph P.E. Zollikofer