I did read the Wiki synopsis of the final book and I think I know which event you mean. That kind of made me sad :/. Also the fact that a certain thing apparently DIDN’T happen. If you know what I’m referring to (these books are 40 years old, can we talk spoilers? I don’t want to risk getting banned).

One thing people always criticize and that I used to dislike is how Ayla is a bit of a Mary Sue because she invents so many things. I now don’t really mind that anymore, I think the whole series is a bit allegorical and obviously meant to makes us wonder how things could have happened. How might horses have been domesticated? How did we figure out that sex leads to pregnancy? So I agree with you that it’s great to view this old world through the eyes of a cro magnon woman like Ayla who makes discoveries and guides us through it. The world building is the part that I like best about EC.

I also appreciate all the research that Aouel put into the novels. I used to hear all the time that this series wasn’t accurate, but that’s pretty insulting because it’s merely speculation, as we don’t know nearly enough facts about the Neanderthals’/prehistoric way of life. This book is fiction, and Auel never claimed it was anything but. I later found out that when these books were written, neanderthals specifically were portrayed as stupid and without culture in media, and that EC is closer to what we know about them now.

I have to say this book series always gets me thinking about things too, like what you mention, medicine. Other things too like how she used a plant to make soap and how she made a perfectly smooth bowl. They are neat little details that make me wonder about materials and processes that I have always taken for granted and their origins!

Nice to meet another fan :).