Ralph Solecki

Context:

Chris Stringer mentions that Ralph Solecki, who led the excavations at the Shanidar cave site in Kurdistan/northern Iraq, 'wrote a book called Neanderthals, The First Flower Children' (he's slightly uncertain of the exact title). The book reflected the 1960s flower-power zeitgeist, portraying Neanderthals as peace-loving based on the controversial finding of apparent flower wreaths in Neanderthal burials — a finding now largely discredited. A fascinating example of how cultural context shapes scientific interpretation.