Description
Book SynopsisJust 28,000 years ago, the blink of an eye in geological time, the last of Neanderthals died out in their last outpost, in caves near Gibraltar. Thanks to cartoons and folk accounts we have a distorted view of these other humans - for that is what they were. We think of them as crude and clumsy and not very bright, easily driven to extinction by the lithe, smart modern humans that came out of Africa some 100,000 years ago. But was it really as simple as that? Clive Finlayson reminds us that the Neanderthals were another kind of human, and their culture was not so very different from that of our own ancestors. In this book, he presents a wider view of the events that led to the migration of the moderns into Europe, what might have happened during the contact of the two populations, and what finally drove the Neanderthals to extinction. It is a view that considers climate, ecology, and migrations of populations, as well as culture and interaction. His conclusion is that the destiny of th
Trade ReviewA refreshing new perspective on this old debate....should be essential reading for everyone interested in human origins. * Fortean Times, Mark Greener *
Lively, revelatory, and salutary book. * The Independent *
Table of Contents1. The road to extinction is paved with good intentions ; 2. Once we were not alone ; 3. Failed experiments ; 4. Stick to what you know best ; 5. Being in the right place at the right time ; 6. If only... ; 7. Africa in Europe - a Mediterranean Serengeti ; 8. One small step for man... ; 9. Forever opportunists ; 10. The pawn turned player ; Epilogue: Children of chance ; Endnotes
