How does any of this have to do with the evolution of man with Neandertal being one of the offshoots? The hundreds of thousands of year refer to those species going backwards in time. As cranial capacity gets smaller the tools get simpler. Going backwards in time you have Homo Heidelbergensis from which Neandertal/Sapiens evolved; Homo Antecessor; Homo Erectus/Ergaster; Homo Rudolfensis; and further back you get the 'walking apes' like Australopithecine.
So what is your boundary point for humanity? Which specimen do you draw the line at?
By the way Homo Sapiens had flutes.