Rebecca Wragg Sykes: Kindred (2019, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc)
288 pages
English language
Published 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
I found myself yawning each time the narrative returned in flint-knapping techniques, which isn't the most engaging topic. There were moments of wonder woven throughout. Genome sequencing rules supreme.
Have been reading this as an audiobook, and I have learned so much, but my favourite thing is that all humans alive today have something like 3% Neanderthal DNA.
The author is also the narrator and they have brought Neanderthals to life in a way no-one has ever done before, in my experience. She talks about knapping quite a bit, coz it's an important technology, and I was amazed that I found it so engaging. I knew stone tools were very hard to make (I did 1st year archaeology at Uni and it's one of the first things they get you to try to do), but the complexity and different types of tools and the knowledge behind them, was breathtaking.
The author gives the Neanderthals a thinking, breathing, presence, and you get to learn about their world and the challenges they faced, using the latest discoveries and the new insights …
Have been reading this as an audiobook, and I have learned so much, but my favourite thing is that all humans alive today have something like 3% Neanderthal DNA.
The author is also the narrator and they have brought Neanderthals to life in a way no-one has ever done before, in my experience. She talks about knapping quite a bit, coz it's an important technology, and I was amazed that I found it so engaging. I knew stone tools were very hard to make (I did 1st year archaeology at Uni and it's one of the first things they get you to try to do), but the complexity and different types of tools and the knowledge behind them, was breathtaking.
The author gives the Neanderthals a thinking, breathing, presence, and you get to learn about their world and the challenges they faced, using the latest discoveries and the new insights modern tech can bring to understanding the past.
I saw someone describe this book as a mix of poetry and science, and I think that's quite apt.
Oh, my other favourite thing is when the author refers to Britain as 'that land west of Doggerland'!
An engaging account of Neanderthal life, incorporating discoveries from recent research which shed a great deal of light on matters such as diet and weapons. I will confess the author went into far more detail than I really cared about on some topics (in particular, lithics) but others may delight themselves with such matters. My principal complaint about the book should probably be assigned to the publisher: a complete lack of notes or references. I understand that a book aimed at a lay audience might best be presented without distracting and possibly off-putting footnotes, but end-notes or even a bibliography of suggestions for further reading or an accompanying web site I think would have been appropriate.
An excellent detailed and myth-busting survey of Homo neanderthalensis including the history of various Neanderthal discoveries with their concurrent and modern interpretation. Recent genetic information and description of modern technologies used in current excavations are included. The author can write and has insight into the significance of the probable nature of these congeneric people and to the significance of our own society and native narcissism on our thoughts about them now. I think this would be worthy of five stars if I hadn't tired of the details of secondary knapped lithics.
