The Neanderthal is among the most mysterious relatives of Homo Was he a dull, club-swinging muscleman, or a being with developed social behaviour and the ability to speak, to plan precisely, and even to develop views on the afterlife? For many, the Neanderthals are an example of primitive humans, but new discoveries suggest that this image needs to be revised. Half a million years ago in Ice Age Europe, there emerged people who managed to cope well with the difficult climate – Neanderthal Man. They formed an organized society, hunted Mammoths, and could make fire. They were able to pass on knowledge; they cared for the old and the handicapped, burying their dead, and placing gifts on their graves. Yet, they became extinct, despite their cultural abilities. This richly illustrated book, written for general audiences, provides a competent look at the history, living conditions, and culture of the Neanderthal.
The Neanderthals presents the history of scientific research into Neanderthals, from the first discoveries at the beginning of the 19th century up to the present day (or, at least, up to the book's publication year). The book contains descriptions of the current state of knowledge on Neanderthal origins, biology, technology, and cultural adaptation/behaviour. The book does a credible job, but I must say that I find it difficult to accurately judge the quality of the book based on the English translation I had access to, as the translation is not the best. The text is full of grammatical errors and weird formulations, which weigh down the language considerably and hinders an easy reading experience. In addition, and I don't know whether to blame the authors or the translator for this, but there were several passages containing what I can only describe as unfortunately phrased comments about behavioural modernity, which in many instances came across as offensive. Again, I don't know who to blame for this, but I sincerely hope that those comments were not the original intended meaning from the side of the authors.