Rebecca Wragg Sykes, a British scientist with vast experience in Paleolithic archeology, shows the Neanderthals in a new light, casting aside stereotypes of tattered savages walking through an icy wilderness. They appear before us as inquisitive connoisseurs of their world, inventive and easily adapting to environmental conditions. Neanderthals lived not only in the tundra and steppes, but also in dense forests and near the Mediterranean Sea. They have successfully survived large-scale climate shocks for over 300,000 years. Although our species has never faced such serious threats, we are convinced of our exclusivity. Meanwhile, we have a lot of Neanderthal DNA, and much of what defines us was inherent in them: planning, cooperation, altruism, craftsmanship, a sense of beauty, imagination, and perhaps even a desire to conquer death. Only by understanding Neanderthals can we truly understand ourselves.
