Tristan Hughes

That sounds slightly barmy to me.

Shall we also mention that, get away this idea, Neanderthals always would have been fully naked.

They wouldn't have had clothing.

I mean, this idea of Neanderthals with ornaments, with art, which is really coming to the fore now.

This also feels a really big part of their story to explain, you know, even before they meet modern humans.

Yes, exactly.

I remember seeing this when watching one of your episodes on Human, talking about the feathers.

Oh, thank you for reminding me.

Well, I feel I had to.

Yes, I forgot about that.

So if we go towards, let's say, 100,000 years ago, and then towards up in Europe, all these amazing artifacts and so on.

And into Central Asia.

And into Central Asia, thank you.

Modern humans, Homo sapiens, we've been on our own path.

I mean, our evolutionary story, even up to that point, before we leave Africa, has already been, it's been quite a journey in itself, hasn't it?

We used to think... Hopefully, we're not going to go back there a million years again.

Yeah.

but that gives you a sense but that does give you a sense of the human mind and the interest in Neanderthals today it is that as we said right it's that first contact idea almost right 100% like what what was that like now the interesting thing is the fascinating thing

And this is when the interesting evidence, trying to find more evidence from the Arabian Peninsula, to think Homo sapiens doing that bridge across the Red Sea further south and going that way.

And that's another great story, isn't it?