>>3088316ARCHAEOLOGIST HERE.
these statues are not to be taken literally.
for example the one from syria and iraqi one too, is small in size, and some scientists speculate there was another part of the statue, the cap that was removable. look at the syrian head and how it points up, it's quite clear the intention was to put on it's head. some statues were simply childrens' toys, some were ritualistic figurines that had a place/altar in homes.
it is well known elongated heads in ancient egypt were a matter of fashion and a status symbol.
the rulers had to have special ornaments on their heads in order to appear taller, brighter, bigger than the rest. they are on the top. the head/face is what differentiates us all and has to be treated special. so no aliens plz! the truth is always simple and logical, be aware of your reasoning and your contemporary point of view and knowledge when approaching these things. don't slip on your own modern position when analyzing the man of the past.
NEANDERTHALS-wise:
yes we have bread with them and it's been scientifically proven. their trace is present still today in the mitohondrycal part of DNA, which is passing on on the mother's part of the geneaology line (sorry eng not first language).
Neanderthals were extraordinarily similar to us. they talked and had their language, the buried their dead (which is not proving belief in life after death, but is proving care for members of the community) and buried them with their equipment and gear included in the grave (again not necessarily for the afterlife but because it was personal). their hunting was planned and strategized.
it is my personal opinion homo sapiens learnt A LOT from them when interacting. and we DID interact for 30k years of overlapping in habitating in the same areas in europe.
however linking brain size with intelligence capacities seems a bit raw symplistic and naive deducting.
people study this shit for years, don't simplify it because "internet research
