Kindred Spirits

By Douglas Weinstein
Published on: May 5, 2021

Insider the body, the bone

Under the skin, the blood

Over the skin, the fur

Across the fur, the hand

From the hand, the fire

Before the fire, the wood

Out of the wood, the tar

Held by the tar, the stone

Scraped by the stone, the red

Beneath the red, the shell

Inside the shell, the secret *

 

 

 

Just a quick note for those of you who like great books. Kindred, by Rebecca Wragg Sykes is an elegant, authoritative look at our long-lost kindred spirits and relatives, the Neanderthal. From historical and outdated methodologies depicting Neanderthal as knuckle-dragging, stooped primitives who existed in ice age conditions along with the wooly mammoth, Sykes draws on the latest archeological and paleo-sciences to illustrate just how similar H. Sapiens are to Neanderthal. Ranging far back into times almost incomprehensible, it is an enthralling lesson about our ancient cousins.

Compelling and beautifully written, always approachable for those who want a high level perspective and dense enough for those who are in the ‘business’ of paleontology, I gained such an appreciation of the roots of hominids and a better understanding of the subtle complexities of Neanderthal biology and culture.

Highly recommended.

*Intro to chapter seven, Material World.

Neanderthal reconstruction images by Tom Bjorklund.

 

Douglas Weinstein

Doug is the Editor and co-founder of the Technology Insider Group and Technology Designer Magazine. Previously, he was the Executive Director and co-founder of the Elf Foundation, a non-profit organization that created Room of Magic entertainment theaters in children's hospitals across North America.

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