Dr. Henry Gee

So considering that Australopithecus was only a meter so tall and with a skull of a chimp, you know, these people were big. I mean, you know, like Genesis 6 verses 4, maybe it's Genesis 4 verse 6. I can't remember. There were giants on the earth in those days. But there was more. They were the hobbits. Homo erectus became marooned on islands in Southeast Asia.

First, it was known in Flores, which is just to the east of Java. Homo floresiensis. And in the Philippines, these creatures became very small because for reasons that nobody really quite understands, Big creatures marooned on islands become small, and small creatures marooned on islands become big.

First, it was known in Flores, which is just to the east of Java. Homo floresiensis. And in the Philippines, these creatures became very small because for reasons that nobody really quite understands, Big creatures marooned on islands become small, and small creatures marooned on islands become big.

First, it was known in Flores, which is just to the east of Java. Homo floresiensis. And in the Philippines, these creatures became very small because for reasons that nobody really quite understands, Big creatures marooned on islands become small, and small creatures marooned on islands become big.

So you have these tiny creatures less than three feet tall fighting off gigantic rats the size of dogs, and huge Komodo dragons, and tiny elephants. And the ones in the Philippines fought tiny rhinos. And they evolved to be very small, but they still made Homo erectus-like tools, only just smaller. And then there was the Neanderthals that they first appeared about 300,000 years ago.

So you have these tiny creatures less than three feet tall fighting off gigantic rats the size of dogs, and huge Komodo dragons, and tiny elephants. And the ones in the Philippines fought tiny rhinos. And they evolved to be very small, but they still made Homo erectus-like tools, only just smaller. And then there was the Neanderthals that they first appeared about 300,000 years ago.

So you have these tiny creatures less than three feet tall fighting off gigantic rats the size of dogs, and huge Komodo dragons, and tiny elephants. And the ones in the Philippines fought tiny rhinos. And they evolved to be very small, but they still made Homo erectus-like tools, only just smaller. And then there was the Neanderthals that they first appeared about 300,000 years ago.

And the first signs of them were in Spain. And they tended to be cave dwellers. And they lived in Europe and in Eurasia, as far east as Siberia. and also as far south as the Middle East. But they were cave dwellers. I think that they were built for the rugged extremes of northern Europe in the Ice Age, and they spent most of their time in caves. And they cultivated a deep inner life.

And the first signs of them were in Spain. And they tended to be cave dwellers. And they lived in Europe and in Eurasia, as far east as Siberia. and also as far south as the Middle East. But they were cave dwellers. I think that they were built for the rugged extremes of northern Europe in the Ice Age, and they spent most of their time in caves. And they cultivated a deep inner life.

And the first signs of them were in Spain. And they tended to be cave dwellers. And they lived in Europe and in Eurasia, as far east as Siberia. and also as far south as the Middle East. But they were cave dwellers. I think that they were built for the rugged extremes of northern Europe in the Ice Age, and they spent most of their time in caves. And they cultivated a deep inner life.

There is a remarkable circular structure in a cave in France that was made by Neanderthals. It's a structure of broken stalactites and bear skulls. that is a circle. Maybe it was the foundation of some kind of structure, but it was built in a part of the cave that would always have been away from sunlight, always in total darkness. And Neanderthals are known to have deliberately buried their dead

There is a remarkable circular structure in a cave in France that was made by Neanderthals. It's a structure of broken stalactites and bear skulls. that is a circle. Maybe it was the foundation of some kind of structure, but it was built in a part of the cave that would always have been away from sunlight, always in total darkness. And Neanderthals are known to have deliberately buried their dead

There is a remarkable circular structure in a cave in France that was made by Neanderthals. It's a structure of broken stalactites and bear skulls. that is a circle. Maybe it was the foundation of some kind of structure, but it was built in a part of the cave that would always have been away from sunlight, always in total darkness. And Neanderthals are known to have deliberately buried their dead

I mean, there are some early signs of some Neanderthal precursors in the so-called pit of bones at Atapuerca, in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. It's a pit of bones because the residents chucked their dead ones down this pit at the back of the cave.

I mean, there are some early signs of some Neanderthal precursors in the so-called pit of bones at Atapuerca, in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. It's a pit of bones because the residents chucked their dead ones down this pit at the back of the cave.

I mean, there are some early signs of some Neanderthal precursors in the so-called pit of bones at Atapuerca, in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. It's a pit of bones because the residents chucked their dead ones down this pit at the back of the cave.

So that was the first sign of any kind of ceremony, because when animals die, they don't tend to notice the dead ones very much, except if they're perhaps elephants or some other intelligent creature. But Neanderthals actually deliberately buried their dead with flowers and other grave markers. With flowers? Yes, yes.

So that was the first sign of any kind of ceremony, because when animals die, they don't tend to notice the dead ones very much, except if they're perhaps elephants or some other intelligent creature. But Neanderthals actually deliberately buried their dead with flowers and other grave markers. With flowers? Yes, yes.

So that was the first sign of any kind of ceremony, because when animals die, they don't tend to notice the dead ones very much, except if they're perhaps elephants or some other intelligent creature. But Neanderthals actually deliberately buried their dead with flowers and other grave markers. With flowers? Yes, yes.

There's a very famous Neanderthal grave at Shanidar in what is now Iraq, where there's signs of concentrations of pollen, which suggests that they marked their dead with their funeral traditions. But some early Neanderthals looked up at the Tibetan plateau and thought, that looks like a nice place.