ABSTRACT
The picture of Neanderthals as hulking ape-men dates back to 1908 and the discovery of the “Old Man of La Chapelle-aux-Saints.” The La Chapelle fossil was the most complete skeleton of a Neanderthal ever recovered, and it provided a unique opportunity to understand the characteristics of this intriguing hominin. The evolution of Neanderthals took place within the context of the geological period known as the Pleistocene, or the Ice Age. This chapter examines the environmental record pertaining to the Pleistocene, or the Ice Age. It provides the record for the continued spread of populations of Homo erectus into western Europe. The chapter looks at new developments that begin to appear in the archaeological record toward the end of the Lower Paleolithic around 500,000 years ago. It then turns to the Neanderthal fossil record and offer an extended consideration of the archaeological record of Neanderthal behavior and society.
