Genetically we are the same as the people who lived fifty thousand years ago (except for lactose tolerance for those who have it). What was life like for humans then? Recent huge discoveries like the Chauvet Cave have combined with new methods of archeological study to give us a sharper-than-ever look into this deep time. Robinson will discuss these advances in our understanding; the research he did for his new novel SHAMAN; some prehistoric fiction of note; and a few implications for how we live now.