Earliest evidence for human violence

[Jim Webster]

I assume Tolkien was intending to take the Old English as definitive 

Jim

[Patrick Waterson]

There's a useful summary of Neanderthal anatomy on Wikipedia as well, which seems to be reasonably up to date, although it draws comparisons purely with modern (for which I assume post-WWII) humans.

I think the standard of comparison used to be Cro-Magnon Man (now Early Homo Sapiens).  He did average 6' tall and his reconstructed anatomy was much more congenial to the eye.  Then again, in the weltanschaung of early Germans and Scandinavians (our main sources of dwarf-related legend), who were traditionally somewhat taller than the average homo sapiens, a population who averaged 5'4" could conceivably have been considered dwarves.

Or dwarfs.

Or dwarrows.  Or dverger.  Or zwerge.

[aligern]

Following the earlierlinks it is suggested that Neanderthals suffered broken ribs through directly. contacting their prey.  I have also heard that they could not throw accurately because of the way their shoulder articulates. Perhaps the advantage of Sapiens was in the ability to inflict casualties at a distance and, being lighter build,nto avoid closing with the Neanderthals.
Roy

[Mark G]

Doesn't recent research into the importance of being able to form a fist work against that?

I vaguely recall the argument being that fists and thus boxing were a key evolutionary advantage

[Duncan Head]

And when sapiens and Neanderthal weren't fighting ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33226416
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/22/my-neanderthal-sex-secret-modern-europeans-great-great-grandparent-link