We go on an exploratory journey of investigation and discovery, and to locations in 5 countries. As we encounter new aspects of the Neanderthals, uncovering truths about their lives, we use recreations as launchpads, adding follow-spot animation, in order to illustrate the Neanderthal’s traits, his strengths and weaknesses. We bring to life our very own Neanderthal avatar. We create the ultimate Neanderthal warrior and set him up against the obstacles of his world.

Scientists take a look at what other factors might have affected the demise of the Neanderthals. Could it have been the eruption of a super volcano? And if so, the presence of a simmering super volcano in the backyard of the United States could mean devastation. Then a surprising look at the human genome at the University of Washington reveals that Neanderthal DNA may be living on in modern humans.