The Neanderthals were an extinct group of humans who lived in Eurasia from 400,000 to 40,000 years ago. In this course we will consider the Neanderthals in the context of human evolution and ask: who were they, how did they live, where did they come from and why did they disappear? Over the last 30 years, innovative scientific methods, including genetic analysis and new dating techniques have improved our understanding of these people. We will review these methods and also consider the way Neanderthals have been described in literature and popular culture, and how this is changing in light of new knowledge.