<p>How do you infer the existence of a hitherto-unknown human species from a fragmentary finger bone? Why do we walk on two legs? Were Neanderthals really dimwitted? How did a small, solitary predator become the world&rsquo;s most popular pet? What was the ancient link between languages spoken in places as far apart as Iceland and India?<br />
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These are just some of the questions faced by those seeking to unravel the secrets of the vast period of time that predates the last six thousand years of &lsquo;recorded history&rsquo;. In addition to fieldwork and traditional methods, paleoanthropologists and archaeologists now draw upon genetics and other cutting-edge scientific techniques.<br />
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In fifty chapters, Prehistoric Investigations tells the story of the many thought-provoking discoveries that have transformed our understanding of the distant past.</p>