Images Dated 5th August 2002

Artwork of man holding his lower back in pain

Back pain. Artwork of a man holding his lower back in pain. The pain is represented by the cracked orange area. Lower back pain, or lumbago, affects most people at some stage of their lives. It is commonly caused by strain, resulting in temporary injury to soft tissues (such as tendons, muscles and ligaments) around bones of the spine. People who lift heavy objects, or those who spend long periods sitting in one position, are most likely to suffer from back pain. Treatment includes correcting the posture used when resting or lifting objects, and taking painkillers

© DAVID GIFFORD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Head of a model of a neanderthal man

Neanderthal man. Head of a model of a neanderthal man (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis). Neanderthals were early humans that lived in Europe and the Middle East about 120-30, 000 years ago. Neanderthals brains were slightly larger than ours, being up to 1750 millilitres in volume. They fashioned tools with which they made weapons, created carvings and constructed dwellings. They are also known to have buried their dead. The first neanderthal skeleton was found in the Neander Valley in Germany. This model, from an exhibition by Nordstar, was photographed at the Naturkundemuseum in Stuttgart, Germany

© VOLKER STEGER/NORDSTAR - 4 MILLION YEARS OF MAN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY