A seven-part series tracing the origins of our species presented by Richard Leakey 5: A New Era
A group of people carefully buried one of their dead in a shallow grave 60,000 years ago and, in a simple ritual, placed summer flowers on his body.
These people were Neanderthals -usually thought of as brutish, dim-witted cavemen. So have we maligned them? And were they the ancestors of us all?
RICHARD LEAKEY traces the first emergence of our species, Homo sapiens sapiens, and explores some of the astonishing art they left behind - including the beautiful cave of Lascaux, filmed here for the first time since its closure 20 years ago.
Film cameraman ALEC CURTIS Film editor KEITH RAVEN
Graphic designer PETER Clayton Research JANE CALLANDER
Producer PETER SPRY-LEVERTON Series producer GRAHAM MASSEY
(An edited version of this series u printed weekly in the LISTENER)