"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.