the article didnt state how deep down the site was it only said
that the site was 300 meters into the cave.
heat from the earth gets higher the further down you go
not the further in you go.
it would still be warmer than the outside though.
the pictures and video clearly show several piles of
stacked up stalagmites in the middle of the large
area you noted as 22 ft , I certainly was not suggesting that
they had filled the entire area with fire as you have suggested
these two piles of stalagmites may have served as bases to
support a couple of tall stalagmites to support a large
stiched together animal skin tent.
Im not sure why you would think that they would venture into
the cave in the dark they did have fire so a torch would light
there way in and out of the cave pretty well.
charlcoal would not be abundant if they were using the burnt wood
charlcoal as fertilizer for plants.
they would have powdered the charlcoal to put into the soil.
all sorts of animals build nest , homes , even ants are
farmers and keep heards of other insects.
why couldnt the neanderthals?
were they dumber than almost all other lifeforms underneath
them in the food chain?
