127. Neanderthals

Context:

Explicitly mentioned and quoted at the opening of the episode. Tom Holland reads a passage from it about Neanderthals kindling history and describes it as 'a book by Rebecca Rag Sykes that came out last year' that he's been meaning to read. The book represents the latest synthesis of current thinking on Neanderthals and would appeal to anyone interested in a comprehensive, up-to-date account of Neanderthal life and culture.

Context:

Dominic recommends this as 'an absolutely magnificent novel' about Neanderthals, calling it 'probably the best' of Golding's books. The novel shows the world through Neanderthal eyes, portraying them as innocent children of nature while modern humans are depicted as cruel — reflecting Golding's preoccupation with human evil. Chris Stringer discusses how the novel was a reaction against H.G. Wells' portrayal of Neanderthals as brutish, and it's referenced multiple times throughout the episode as emblematic of the 'humans as villains' interpretation of the Neanderthal extinction.

Context:

Tom mentions receiving this book as a Christmas gift from his parents, calling it 'his wonderful book' when introducing guest Chris Stringer. The book covers the story of human presence in Britain and would appeal to anyone interested in the deep prehistory of the British Isles.

Context:

Listed by Tom as one of Chris Stringer's other books when introducing the guest. It covers the origins and evolution of Homo sapiens as a species.

Context:

Listed by Tom as one of Chris Stringer's books when introducing the guest. It provides a broader overview of the human evolutionary story.

Context:

Referenced in discussion about the timing of the Neanderthal discovery and naming. Tom notes that the Neanderthal name was announced around the same period as Darwin's famous work, and Chris Stringer adds that Darwin was shown the Gibraltar Neanderthal skull a couple of years after writing Origin of Species. Essential context for understanding how the Neanderthal discovery intersected with the revolution in evolutionary thinking.

Context:

Chris Stringer mentions H.G. Wells 'writing a story called The Grizzly Folk' which painted Neanderthals as very distinct and ape-like, representing a 'dark side' of humanity, like 'warlocks.' This short story was highly influential in shaping negative perceptions of Neanderthals and is contrasted with Golding's more sympathetic portrayal in The Inheritors. A key text in the cultural history of how Neanderthals have been imagined.

Context:

Chris Stringer recommends this as part of a series of novels by Björn Kurtén (identified as a paleontologist from Scandinavia) about the Neanderthal-modern human interface. In the book, modern humans call Neanderthals 'trolls,' connecting to the discussion about whether Neanderthals survive in folklore and legend. Stringer describes the novels as 'really good' and recommends them, noting their exploration of the interaction between the two human species.

Context:

Chris Stringer references Lord of the Flies in passing when discussing Golding's thematic preoccupations, noting that in it 'we've got that dual nature of humanity showing up, humanity as being potentially cruel,' which parallels how modern humans treat Neanderthals in The Inheritors. Mentioned to illustrate Golding's consistent literary theme of human cruelty and moral darkness.

Context:

Tom Holland references Darwin going on to talk about human evolution in 'the sense of man' (likely meaning The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex), noting that in The Origin of Species Darwin 'famously does not talk about human evolution' but then goes on in this later work to address it. Mentioned briefly in the context of how the Neanderthal discovery fed into debates about human evolution and scientific racism.

Context:

Listed by Tom as one of Chris Stringer's books when introducing the guest, described as 'Britain a million years of the human story.' It covers the deep history of human habitation in Britain.

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.