I did tons of
research for writing DEATH IN THE TIME OF ICE. I used it in the book, of
course, but I’d like to share some of it with you. Everyone is interested in
Neanderthals, right?
Here are some
notes for the first five chapters with source references:
Chapter 1
On current
evidence, the Neanderthals lived between about 230,000 and 30,000 years ago--a
huge span of time by any reckoning.
In Search of
the Neanderthals Christopher Stringer and Clive Gamble, p. 7
In ancient times
women ruled, because they had the magic masks, or the magic flutes, but men
spied on them and stole their magic away.
Indians William
Brandon, p. 20
Chapter 2
The high
incidence of degenerative joint disease in Neanderthals is perhaps not
surprising given what we know of the hard lives they led and the wear and tear
this would have produced on their bodies. But the prevalence of serious
injuries is more surprising, and indicates just how dangerous life was, even
for those who did manage to reach ‘old age’ in Neanderthal societies.
In Search of
the Neanderthals Christopher Stringer and Clive p. 95
Chapter 3
A remarkable
feature that occurred in the older part of the shelter1 fill
was a man-made rock pavement that rested on the surface of Zone 32 clay
and was overlain by travertine, clay, and limestone grit (Zone 4). … Several
small patches of cobblestone pavement apparently were found at a level below
the main rock floor pavement, and [Glen] Evans thought these might be evidence
of human activity in Zone 3.
Taken from
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/index.html, a site of the University of Texas
at Austin
1Kincaid
shelter in Texas Hill country
2Late
Pleistocence, 126,000 to 11,500 years ago
Chapter 4
New evidence has
emerged that Neanderthals co-existed with anatomically modern humans for at
least 1,000 years in central France. …Neanderthals lived in the cave between roughly
40,000 and 38,000 years ago…. Homo sapiens …inhabited caves for about 1,000 to
1,500 years…. At that point, Homo sapiens moved out and the Neanderthals
returned, staying for a period that went from about 36,5000 years ago to 35,000
years ago.
From http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1450949.htm,
ABC news article September 1, 2005
Chapter 5
Neanderthals
seemed to suffer a high frequency of fractures…. These fractures are often
healed and show little or no sign of infection, suggesting that injured
individuals were cared for during times of incapacitation.
T.D. Berger and
E. Trinkaus (1995). "Patterns of trauma among Neadertals". Journal of
Archaeological Science 22: 841 - 852. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
Found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_neanderthalensis#_note-26
illustration from
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19960748
3 comments:
Fascination stuff!
Didn't I see some Neanderthals in a commercial?
Anyway, you do have a vivid imagination to even consider writing about Neanderthals.
Sorry I'm seeing these comments so late! Thanks for reading, Marilyn. Morgan, those commercials were horrible! I'm glad they've quit.
Post a Comment