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March is Women's History Month!

A Neanderthal-Themed Park For Gibraltar?

The Rock of Gibraltar
Gibraltar Tourism
The Rock of Gibraltar

The Homo sapiens imagination runs wild: A 4-D Mammoth Hunters ride? An Ice Age-themed roller-coaster?

Pure fantasy only, these ideas flew to mind when I scanned a report this morning about a Neanderthal park that may be established on the Rock of Gibraltar within a few years.

Soon enough I realized that the scientists, museum curators and government officials behind this idea are thinking not of a Neanderthal theme park but a Neanderthal-themed park, one that would involve UNESCO "World Heritage" designation. (I very much doubt that wild rides are part of the plan.)

In all seriousness, the Gibraltar location would be apt. The Rock boasts numerous caves; Neanderthal activity is associated with some of them. There's no certainty yet that the park will become a reality, but on-site education about and conservation of this Neanderthal locality would be a great thing.


You can keep up with more of what Barbara is thinking on Twitter: @bjkingape

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Barbara J. King is a contributor to the NPR blog 13.7: Cosmos & Culture. She is a Chancellor Professor of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary. With a long-standing research interest in primate behavior and human evolution, King has studied baboon foraging in Kenya and gorilla and bonobo communication at captive facilities in the United States.