About this item
Centered in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, one of Europe's most concentrated regions for Neandertal and early modern human occupations, writer Beebe Bahrami follows and participates in the work of archaeologists who are doing some of the most comprehensive and global work to date on the research, exploration, and recovery of our ancient ancestors. In Caf Neandertal, Bahrami follows this compelling riddle along a path populated with colorful local personalities and opinionated, polemical, and brilliant archaeologists working in remote and fascinating places across Eurasia, all the while maintaining a firm foothold in the Dordogne, a region celebrated by the local tourist office as a vacation destination for 400,000 years. From this prehistoric perch Bahrami gets to know first-hand the Neandertals and the people who love them - those who have devoted their lives to them. She is thrown into a world debating not only what happened to these close cousins but also what legacy they have left for those who followed.Caf Neandertal is also a detective story, investigating one of the biggest mysteries of prehistory and archaeology: Who were the Neandertals Why did they disappear around 35,000 years ago And more mysteriously, what light do they shed on us modernsBahrami takes readers into the thick of an excavation, neck-deep in Neanderthal dirt, and to the front row of the heated debates about our long-lost cousins. Caf Neandertal pulls us deeply into the complex mystery of the Neandertals, shedding a surprising light on what it means to be human.
About the Author
Beebe Bahrami is a widely-published writer and cultural anthropologist specializing in narrative, memoir, and creative nonfiction with a special focus on travel, adventure, food and wine, cross-cultural, archaeological, and spiritual themes, especially in France and Spain. A veteran on both sides of the Pyrenees of the Way of Saint James (also called the Camino de Santiago and Chemin St-Jacques) she also writes extensively about the stories and deep history and prehistory connected to this ancient sacred road.Beebe has written two travel narratives on France, Cafe Oc--A Nomad's Tales of Magic, Mystery, and Finding Home in the Dordogne of Southwestern France (Shanti Arts Publishing) , and Cafe Neandertal--Excavating Our Past in One of Europe's Most Ancient Places (Counterpoint Press) , and several travel guides, including Moon Camino de Santiago (Avalon Travel/Perseus Books) , The Spiritual Traveler Spain--A Guide to Sacred Sites and Pilgrim Routes (HiddenSpring/Paulist Press) , and Historic Walking Guides Madrid (DestinWorld) . Beebe's writing also appears in numerous other publications, including BBC Travel, The Best Women's Travel Writing, Michelin Green Guides, National Geographic books, Wine Enthusiast, Bon Vivant, Fodors.com, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Archaeology, and The Bark. To learn more, please visit www.beebebahrami.weebly.com.
