The Neanderthal’s Necklace by Juan Luis Arsuaga. Review:
Suppose a remnant population of Neanderthals were discovered today. What would we do with them? Would we welcome them into the human family and try to set them up in suburban semis, send California Man to high school with our teenagers, or corral them in a reservation in Siberia?
The Neanderthals are an interesting test case of what it means to be human. As Juan Luis Arsuaga asks: “Apart from us, has there ever been another life form on Earth that was conscious of its own existence and of its place in the world?” The Neanderthal’s Necklace is his attempt to convince us that the Neanderthals fit the bill. And in this endeavour he is very successful. New Scientist
