Books Unfold : Book Review: Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes

Contents

Book Description
Discussion Questions
Quotes
Takeaways
The Pros and Cons
Closing Thoughts
Further Information
Book Information
Find It Here

Neanderthals were sometimes thought of as primitive, dumb, or barbaric. That is how many of us picture them– just as we’ve seen in movies and TV shows featuring a primitive man covered in animal skins, walking hunched over, and uttering two-syllable words in a guttural voice.

But the book, Kindred, tells us a different story. It doesn't only describe the physical, social, and cognitive aspects of Neanderthals but also provides significant information about who truly they were based on Neanderthal bones, rock shelters, tools, and other evidence that were discovered in caves from Europe to Central Asia. Contrary to common beliefs, Neanderthals walked upright, were intelligent, and were creative in their own way.

Kindred is written by Rebecca Wragg Sykes, an archaeologist and writer who is passionate about human history and prehistory. She focuses on the lifestyle, behavior, and ancient technology of early humans, especially Neanderthals. She aims to make history easy to understand through her books and talks and to bring people together.

Book Description

Our perception of the Neanderthals has undergone a metamorphosis since their discovery 150 years ago, from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins. Spanning scientific curiosity and popular cultural fascination means that there is a wealth of coverage in the media and beyond – but do we get the whole story? The reality of 21st century Neanderthals is complex and fascinating, yet remains virtually unknown and inaccessible outside the scientific literature.

In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Becky Wragg Sykes shoves aside the cliché of the rag-clad brute in an icy wasteland, and reveals the Neanderthal you don't know, who lived across vast and diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of years of massive climate change. This book will shed new light on where they lived, what they ate, and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture that is being uncovered, up to and including the very recent discovery of verifiably Neanderthal cave art.

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 full picture we now have of the Neanderthals for the first time, from amazing new discoveries changing our view of them forever to the more enduring mysteries of how they lived and died, and their relationship with modern humans.

Source: Goodreads

Discussion Questions

What are some common stereotypes about Neanderthals?
How has modern research challenged these stereotypes?
Were Neanderthals innovative toolmakers or just imitators of Homo sapiens? Why or why not? Cite evidence.
How did Neanderthal physical adaptations influence their lifestyle, diet, and survival strategies?
In what ways did Neanderthals demonstrate social and emotional complexity?
What evidences show that interbreeding happened between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens?
What role did climate and environmental changes play in shaping Neanderthal life and possibly contributing to their decline?
How did Neanderthals create art and what does this tell us about their cognitive abilities?
Has this book changed your perceptions about Neanderthals? How?
What questions would you ask the author of Kindred, Rebecca Wragg Sykes?

Quotes

Takeaways

Here are a few notable things about Neanderthals but the book offers much more.

The media often portrays Neanderthals to be dumb but thousands of pieces of evidence suggest otherwise.
Neanderthals left countless artifacts, tools, rock shelters, bones, and other things that baffled researchers even to this time, spawning hunches, stories, and theories that tried to explain their history. As Rebecca Wragg Sykes said, “Neanderthals infiltrated imaginations beyond the scientific.” Their discovery led to many questions including “who we are, where we come from and where we might be going.” The book is written for us to get to know them, our kindred, who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Archaeology and scientific research show that Neanderthals and modern humans shared the same ancestors that came into the picture 2 million years ago.
The first discovery of Neanderthal skulls was in 1829 by a “fossiling hobbyist with a medical background”, Philippe-Charles Schmerling in Engis, Belgium. Since then, more and more sites have been discovered showing Neanderthals lived in many places including Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Neanderthals are shorter and stockier than Sapiens, with a powerful robust build. Their hips and shoulders were wider but their limbs were shorter to conserve energy as they adapted to cold environments. Their body build was not from brutishness but from an incredibly active way of life. They were always on the move.
The shape of Neanderthal skulls is different from Sapiens'. Neanderthals had a low skull with a prominent brow bridge. Their mouth and nose jutted forward. They didn't have a chin. However, their brain was as big as the brain of modern humans.
Knapping is a method that Neanderthals use in creating tools. The stone is shaped by smacking it with something harder and parts would fall out. The former is called a core and the latter are called flakes. Over time, advanced techniques were developed to get more control of the tool’s shape and size. The two known techniques are Levallois and Discoid.
When it comes to food, Neanderthals’ diet depends on the availability of the resources in their local environment. However, according to evidence, they chiefly ate meat from horses, woolly mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, bison, and deer. They also hunted small games such as rabbits and birds. Moreover, they didn’t only feed on meat but also some plants such as tubers, nuts, leafy greens, and fruits.
Like us, Neanderthals had a sense of belongingness in a close-knit group living in a rock shelter, working together to find food and create a homey place. Researchers found that they also arranged things in the place where they lived. Neanderthals created hearths where they gathered around to keep themselves warm and cooked food.
Neanderthals interacted with other human species – the Denisovans and Sapiens. Not only that, they interbred. A small limb fragment of a teenage girl was found in Denisova Cave in Siberia and after DNA analysis, it was found that her mother was a Neanderthal and her father was a Denisovan. As for Neanderthal and Sapien hybrid, the Oase man’s DNA showed an intimate relationship between the two human species.

The Pros and Cons

Pro: The book unravels the human side of the Neanderthals.

Even though we only have the relics of early humans, archaeologists and scientists were able to theorize their movements, interactions, and thinking patterns by analyzing the placement of the evidence in the caves where they were found and the attributes of the surrounding environments. One of their discoveries was Neanderthals were social beings who lived in a rock shelter with their kin, wanted an organized living space, and gathered around a hearth to seek warmth, cook food, and bond with one another. It's fascinating to know that they share similarities with us when it comes to group behavior.

Pro: The author includes lyrical prose at the beginning of every chapter.

Before a chapter starts, the author paints with lyrical words vivid scenes that enkindle a connection to the pre-historic humans by imagining what they saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted during their time. It invites the reader to see the whole picture of us concerning the Earth with its deep past. Isn’t it amazing to think that more than 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals, lived with our early ancestors, breathing the same air, hearing the sounds of different animals in dense environments, and feeling the cold breeze? It’s mind-blowing.

Pro: The book tackles important issues about the Neanderthals.

As mentioned above, we have misconceptions about our early cousins, some of which come from how the media portrays them. The book refutes these misconceptions and reveals the characteristics of the Neanderthals through pieces of evidence. The author also highlights the air of superiority in modern humans that tends to create a hierarchy in the animal world. This book uncovers the other side of reality, which can be humiliating—that we are not the superior species, as we are still subjected to natural laws. Yes, we are intelligent beings, but that doesn’t discount the intelligence of Neanderthals.

Con: Even though the book is readable and some jargons were explained, sometimes a paragraph is crowded with complex information that slows down reading.

The book doesn’t sound like a textbook; it’s digestible and captivating, which is consistent with Rebecca Wragg Syke’s aim to spread the history of early humans to a wider audience. However, the reader will encounter new words, concepts, dates, names, and places that could affect the reading pace. Despite this, Kindred is still worth your while.

Con: Few visual references to the Neanderthal were included in the book.

Visual references would have made this book even better. Visual references would have made this book even better. The information about Neanderthals—their homes, food, and way of life—is really interesting, but I wish the author had included photos of the different Neanderthal remains found. Pictures would have helped bring the discoveries to life.

Closing Thoughts

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Rebecca Wragg Syke’s Kindred is an eye-opening book that challenges the common stereotypes about Neanderthals as unintelligent, violent, and unsophisticated. As an archaeologist, speaker, and writer, Syke wanted to re-introduce Neanderthals to a wider audience as humans with impressive characteristics. She emphasized that aside from modern humans, other human species lived on Earth and were equally intelligent, resourceful, and creative in their own way.

Kindred revealed the human side of Neanderthals by presenting their stories and history based on their remnants found in rock shelters from Europe to Central Asia. The author also included the beginnings of the Neanderthal investigations and the development of scientific procedures in extracting macroscopic and microscopic information from the 19th century to the present. The meticulous study of the pieces of evidence led to logical theories about the behaviors of Neanderthals. They organize hunting, arrange their things in their dwellings, make art, and have close relationships with each other. Sykes’ lyrical prose at the beginning of every chapter also brings the readers into a poignant emotional experience that connects them to their early cousins who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago.

The book is comprehendible but some parts are pregnant with significant information that may hinder the reading flow. Also, it would have been better if there were photos of Neanderthal sites or reconstructions of their faces that would reinforce the descriptions written in the book. However, Kindred is definitely worth reading.

If you are interested in human history, specifically the Neanderthals, or you’ve watched documentaries such as The Secrets of Neanderthals on Netflix, this book is for you.