"Kindred is important reading not just for anyone interested in
these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in
humanity."--The New York Times Book Review
"[A] bold and magnificent attempt to resurrect our Neanderthal
kin."--The Wall Street Journal
In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Rebecca Wragg Sykes shoves aside the
cliché of the shivering ragged figure in an icy wasteland, and reveals
the Neanderthal you don't know, our ancestor who lived across vast and
diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of
years of massive climate change. This book sheds new light on where they
lived, what they ate, and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture
that researchers have discovered.
Since their discovery 150 years ago, Neanderthals have gone from the
losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins. Our perception of
the Neanderthal has changed dramatically, but despite growing scientific
curiosity, popular culture fascination, and a wealth of coverage in the
media and beyond are we getting the whole story? The reality of 21st
century Neanderthals is complex and fascinating, yet remains virtually
unknown and inaccessible outside the scientific literature.
Based on the author's first-hand experience at the cutting-edge of
Palaeolithic research and theory, this easy-to-read but information-rich
book lays out the first full picture we have of the Neanderthals, from
amazing new discoveries changing our view of them forever, to the more
enduring mysteries of how they lived and died, and the biggest question
of them all: their relationship with modern humans.
