Who were the Neanderthals?

More than a century ago, anthropologist Marcellin Boule imagined that Neanderthals had an opposable toe and a grasping foot – like the apes of man. Thus was born the myth of primitive brutes, which for a long time has imprinted on the image of our extinct cousins. What do we really know today about Neanderthals – their culture, lifestyle and cognitive abilities? Does scientific research allow us to build a coherent picture of them? And why do they actually no longer exist? An archaeologist and an anthropologist will talk about Neanderthals.