During the past decades, our image of Homo neanderthalensis has changed dramatically. Initially, Neanderthals were seen as primitive brutes. Increasingly, however, Neanderthals are regarded as basically human. New discoveries and technologies have led to an avalanche of data, and as a result of that it becomes increasingly difficult to pinpoint what the difference between modern humans and Neanderthals really is. And yet, the persistent quest for a minimal difference which separates them from us is still noticeable in Neanderthal research. Neanderthal discourse is a vantage point from which the logic of ‘us’ versus ‘other’ is critically reconsidered. Studying contemporary academic literature and science autobiographies from an oblique perspective, focusing not on Neanderthals as objects, but on the dynamics of interaction between Neanderthal researchers and their finds, basic convictions at work in this type of research are retrieved. What is at issue is not the actual distinction between modern humans and Neanderthals (which is continuously being redefined), but rather the dualistic construction of human and nonhuman. Neanderthal understanding is affected by the desire to safeguard human uniqueness. The overall trend is to identify the human mark or spark, which defines us as favoured ‘winners’. The paradoxes emerging in contemporary Neanderthal discourse are symptomatic of the fact that a dualistic style of thinking is no longer tenable.

中文翻译：

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尼安德特人作为熟悉的陌生人和人类的火花：尼安德特人研究的“黄金岁月”如何重新开启了人类独特性的问题。

在过去的几十年中，我们尼安德特人的形象已经发生了巨大的变化。最初，尼安德特人被视为原始的蛮族。然而，越来越多的尼安德特人基本上被视为人类。新发现和新技术导致了数据的大量涌现，因此，查明现代人类与尼安德特人之间的真正区别变得越来越困难。然而，在尼安德特人的研究中仍然需要不断寻求将他们与我们区分开的最小差异。尼安德特人的话语是一个有利的起点，从这个角度可以重新考虑“我们”与“其他”的逻辑。从倾斜的角度研究当代学术文学和自然科学自传，其重点不是尼安德特人，而是尼安德特人的研究人员与其发现之间相互作用的动力，在这种类型的研究中工作的基本信念被检索。问题不在于现代人类与尼安德特人之间的实际区别（不断被重新定义），而是人类与非人类的二元构造。尼安德特人的理解受到维护人类独特性的渴望的影响。总体趋势是识别人的印记或火花，这将我们定义为偏爱的“赢家”。当代尼安德特人话语中出现的悖论是二元思维方式不再成立的事实的征兆。尼安德特人的理解受到维护人类独特性的渴望的影响。总体趋势是识别人的印记或火花，这将我们定义为偏爱的“赢家”。当代尼安德特人话语中出现的悖论是二元思维方式不再成立的事实的征兆。尼安德特人的理解受到维护人类独特性的渴望的影响。总体趋势是识别人的印记或火花，这将我们定义为偏爱的“赢家”。当代尼安德特人话语中出现的悖论是二元思维方式不再成立的事实的征兆。