Sykes wisely avoids allowing her demystification of Neanderthals to turn into romanticism. These simple yet effective emotional appeals breathe life into what might have read as dry scientific analysis, especially to everyday readers. For example, when discussing the differences in anatomy between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens, Sykes observes, “you’re your own handy anatomical model,” and instructs the reader to inspect their body for seemingly minor features that Neanderthals lacked. Sykes further relates her readers to their prehistoric cousins through authorial intrusion, sometimes directly addressing the reader.

Sykes begins by cleverly framing the act of reading her book as a (one-sided) family reunion, casting the Neanderthals as long-lost “brothers and sisters” who are an integral part of the “family portrait” of human evolution. The second strength of this book is the humanisation of its extinct subjects, not just through science but emotion as well. By contextualising how Neanderthals are understood in both scientific and cultural contexts, Sykes dismantles common but mistaken beliefs more effectively.

Equally importantly, Sykes comprehensively explains why these myths persist, from their roots in Victorian prejudices and cultural taboos to click-bait “Neander-news” in the modern day. She provides a thorough debunking of inaccurate conceptions of archaic humans while still acknowledging that many questions about our past remain unanswered. Sykes’s work succeeds in large part because she is able to explain scientific theories and methodologies for lay audiences. Rebecca Wragg Sykes: Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art, Bloomsbury Sigma, 2020 400 pp Rebecca Wragg Sykes successfully pierces over a century of mischaracterisation, presenting an accessible and insightful look at a species that rivaled our forebears in both physical ability and intelligence. However, this interest has long been hindered by inaccurate portrayals: Neanderthals have often been depicted as dumb, animalistic brutes. Several of the prehistoric human species were not our direct ancestors but rather our cousins, sharing a common heritage and walking the earth contemporaneously.Ĭhief among our relatives were the Neanderthals, who have fascinated both scientists and the public since their discovery in the 1850s.

However, science has proven that humanity’s family tree is anything but linear. Human evolution is popularly imagined as a straight line, with a series of increasingly bipedal hominids serving as “missing links” between the apes and modern Homo Sapiens. Accessible to both casual readers and amateur anthropologists alike, this book gives perhaps the most complete picture of Neanderthals within the current scientific consensus.

Kindred neanderthal book review