Book launch

There is only one kind of human on earth today: us. But we are only one of a number of human species -- primates of the Hominini tribe -- that have existed on our planet across the millennia. In 2004 the world was astounded by the discovery of Homo floresiensis,  a species of human never encountered before, on the island of Flores in  the Indonesian archipelago. A very short, thickset being, with long  arms and feet and an appetite for stegodons (a now extinct relative of  modern elephants), it was soon nicknamed 'the hobbit'. As recently as  52,500 years ago, at a time when our own ancestors were spreading around  the world, these 'hobbit' cousins lived also, at least on Flores. In Little Species, Big Mystery archaeologist Debbie Argue takes us on a journey of thrilling scientific discovery, recounting the unearthing of H. floresiensis,  the archaeological expeditions that have followed, other finds --  including that of a small Philippines hominin -- and new paths of  research and discussion. Argue conveys the excitement of searching for  and finding clues to a lost past, and the animated discussions that have  flowed from their discovery. She provides much contextual information  to strengthen our grasp of the essential coordinates of this field and  stimulate our interest in the shadowy, fascinating realm of prerecorded  time.