The Cavemen Chronicle (Estonian title Kooparahvas läheb ajalukku) is a 2012 historical/comic novel by Estonian author Mihkel Mutt. An English language translation by Adam Cullen was published in 2015. The novel centers on a group of writers, musicians, and scholars in Estonia before, during, and after that nation's independence from the Soviet Union. The title refers to The Cave, a semi-exclusive underground bar in Tallinn where the principal characters gather to drink and debate over the course of several decades. Plot and summary "The Cavemen Chronicle" explores recent Estonian history, from the era of Soviet repression to Estonian independence and beyond, through the eyes of a group of intellectuals whose stories intersect and diverge and whose lives, in the narrator's words, "expressed the age." The novel is divided into four main chronological sections: "The Old Age," set in the 1960s and 1970s and chronicling the childhood and early adulthood of the protagonists. "The Middle Ages," set in the 1980s and introducing The Cave, the underground pub where the major characters and many minor ones gather on a regular basis to discuss their lives, debate philosophy, and comment on the state of the world. "The New Era," a short section centered around the creation of the Independent Republic of Estonia between 1988 and 1991. "The Newest Age," spanning the 1990s and early 2000s, as the characters adjust to a life in which freedom of expression is celebrated but economic security has been greatly reduced. Major characters include: Teedu Tärn, a university lecturer who early on decides that working within the Soviet system is the best course and, with the coming of independence, must grapple with that choice. Mati Tõusumägi, a magazine editor who delights in publishing subversive ideas disguised as cultural commentary, is expelled from the university, and eventually becomes a leader of the Estonian independence movement. Juhan "Juku" Raudtuvi, the book's narrator, a Persian translator who ends up working as a gossip columnist. Klaus, an artist, poet, and actor who eventually becomes famous as a musician and independence advocate. Manglus, a charismatic, hard-partying artist who rises to become Minister of Culture in the new republic. Pekka, a Finnish poet who works as a tour guide and gives the Estonians a glimpse of the economic pressures of a market economy. Illimar, an autistic savant whose correspondence with Juku over several decades reflects his descent into dementia. By the end of the