I watched one of those great BBC natural history programmes about some archeologists who were digging in some caves in Southern Frnace. Anyway, they found lots of evidence that suggested that it wasn't as simple as modern man descending from Neanderthals - in fact, the evidence was that Neanderthals and modern man walked the earth together. Now, I'm no scientist/anthropologist but the archeologists were suggesting that this was a major discovery that entirely changed thinking on the descent of man. This dig must have cost millions and was certainly hard work. You can't help thinking that they could have saved themselves the bother and gone over to Sunderland on a Friday night. They would have had the evidence of their own eyes that Neanderthals do co-exist with modern man: a mere few miles from Newcastle you've got the planet of the bleeding apes. I wonder whether the great men of science are aware that there's such a rich source of research on the Wear. It would be good for Sunderland as well: could you imagine how giddy they'd get if their tourist brochures could say "Sunderland is where Darwin's theories were disproven".

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2000

Answers

Unfortunately all the money for Scientific study in the mackem area was spent on counting centipede's legs. This is obviously more evidence of their hunter/gatherer nature. Apparently they are trying to crossbreed them with chickens and stimultae them into secreting batter from their skins...

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2000

LOL, the poor little mackems, our cousin primates.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2000