What they looked like
Overall Neanderthals were short, stocky and very muscular. These features were an adaptation to the harsh, glacial conditions in which they lived. This body shape reduces the surface area of the body, helping it to retain heat.
Height
In Europe, the average Neanderthal man stood around 5'6" (169cm), and
woman 5'3" (155cm).
Weight
Men weighed about 80Kg (12st 8lbs) and women 60-65kg (9st 6lbs - 10st
3 lbs) Their big muscles and thick bones meant that, despite being quite
small, they were still relatively heavy.
Strength
Neanderthal bones were much more robust than our own. Thick and heavy,
they were built for strength and endurance. Muscles in their shoulders
were specially developed - perhaps to prevent the arm from twisting during
strong movements like thrusting a spear. Even the bones in the hand were
very robust compared to ours, suggesting that they would have had a very
powerful grip.
click on the image
for a larger version
Their skull was long, wide and low. A low sloping forehead ended in large brow ridges that bulged out above the eyes. The whole of the middle of the face was pulled forwards compared to ours, but their cheekbones sloped backwards. They had a strong jaw, but their chin receded slightly behind the front teeth.
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on the images above for a larger version
The most striking feature of the Neanderthal face was a huge nose. Jutting out almost horizontally from beneath the brows, their noses were much larger than our own. This is thought to have been an adaptation to warm and humidify the cold air of the Ice Age.