The ‘original caveman’, they were regarded as savage and backward creatures, without culture or language. Living in the same territories as the Homo sapiens for 10,000 years, as our ancestors prospered, the Neanderthals faced extinction. Decoding Neanderthals reveals how new discoveries in genetics and archaeology are challenging the traditional view of Neanderthals, painting an entirely different picture of our ancient relatives to reveal a legacy that remains with us to this day.