Café Neandertal
Excavating Our Past in One of Europe's Most Ancient Places
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5.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Venture to one of Europe’s most ancient places to uncover Neandertal remains—and what it means to be human.
“[Bahrami’s] wide interests in travel, memoir, food, wine . . . make this exceedingly engaging title more like a French version of Under the Tuscan Sun” (Booklist).
The Dordogne region of southwestern France is one of Europe’s most concentrated regions for Neandertal occupations. In this delightful book, award-winning writer Beebe Bahrami travels to this storied place—highlighting the archaeologists doing some of the most comprehensive work on the research, exploration, and recovery of our ancient ancestors.
Bursting with the textures, sounds, and smells of Dordogne’s excavation sites, Café Neandertal is a fascinating trek through prehistoric history that sheds surprising light on what it means to be human. Perfect for armchair travelers, history buffs, and anyone interested in archaeology!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bahrami (Caf Oc), an anthropologist and travel writer, explores the Dordogne region of France, as well as northwestern Spain, seeking clues to the lives of the prehistoric humans who inhabited the region. She imparts the electrifying sensation of handling dirt, stones, and bones, and their fleeting connections to the humans who occupied these areas some 70,000 years ago. With a pilgrim s reverence and a scientist s exactitude, Bahrami captures the textures, smells, and sounds of the excavation sites and adjacent towns. Melding science reporting and travelogue, she chats with internationally renowned anthropologists about the rituals of the hearth, hunt, and burial; mingles with the locals over aperitifs; attempts to perfect her flint-knapping skills; partners with researchers to dig and scrape; and dutifully explains the importance of every find, down to the smallest ancient tooth and coprolite. She writes a great deal about local wine, herbed snails, and wild mushroom cream sauces consumed over hearty debates about the Neandertal diet and way of life and the evidence in the soil showing them to be in ways more adaptable, innovative, and less rigid-thinking than modern Homo sapiens. At the heart of this story is Bahrami s trek through densely overgrown pre-historic territory in search of a visceral connection to and deeper understanding of all humankind.
