What's really hard to judge is differences in technology. We might look at some bit of carving or architecture and conclude that its purpose was merely religio

What's really hard to judge is differences in technology. We might look at some bit of carving or architecture and conclude that its purpose was merely religious. But maybe it served a practical purpose that's just really alien to us. Time is money after all. Even for neanderthals. Give it a few thousand years. They dig up one of our particle accelerator facilities. Conclude that it was a temple where they worshipped giant circles.