Southeast Asia: Hobbits and Niah Caves

The diminutive, one-time inhabitants of Flores are probably the most famous early humans from this area of the world but where does H. floresiensis fit into our family tree? We discuss the gladiatorial burials recently unearthed in York, some Neanderthal-esque tools from Dartford and the Niah Caves: a spectacular system in Malaysia which has yielded some clues as to how humans make use of difficult environments. Plus, in Backyard Archaeology we bring out the lasers to analyse some Scottish beads. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists