Gibraltar National Museum director receives prestigious award for Neanderthal research

Professor Clive Finlayson, Director of the Gibraltar National Museum, has been awarded the William King Medal by the University of Galway for his "exceptional contribution to the history and understanding of human evolution".

The prestigious award was presented by Professor David Burn, President of the University of Galway, on 22 October, ahead of the William King Annual Lecture which Professor Finlayson had been invited to deliver.

In his citation, Professor Burn described the awarding of the medal at the institution where Neanderthals were first scientifically named as "a fitting completion of the scientific circle," recognising Professor Finlayson as a leading international expert on humanity's closest evolutionary relatives.

The lecture series was established following a 2014 symposium marking the 150th anniversary of William King's naming of the Neanderthal people while he served as Professor of Mineralogy and Geology at what was then Queen's College Galway.

Professor Burn highlighted the significance of Professor Finlayson's work at Gibraltar's Gorham's Cave Complex, now a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the last known places Neanderthals lived on Earth. "The discoveries his team have made have been astonishing and inspiring in equal measure," he said. "His work literally forced us to reimagine our preconceptions of Neanderthal people."

The lecture was delivered to a capacity audience of academics, students and members of the public, who presented Professor Finlayson with a glass tankard from the University at its conclusion.

Reflecting on the honour, Professor Finlayson said he felt "overwhelmed" by the recognition from the University of Galway and the warm welcome extended to him and his wife, Professor Geraldine Finlayson. "It is absolutely wonderful to see the level of interest in our work, with some people having travelled far to be there, and to see the enthusiasm in the faces of students in particular," he said.