Neanderthals hunting mammoth. Artwork of neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) humans hunting woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). Like modern humans, Neanderthals are members of the Homo genus. They inhabited Europe and western Asia between 230,000 and 29,000 years ago. They did not use complex tools but had mastery of fire and built shelters. It is thought that they had language and a complex social structure, living in small family groups and hunting for food.