Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes is an archaeologist, author and Honorary Fellow in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. Her first book KINDRED: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art is a critically acclaimed and award-winning bestseller: a deep dive into the 21st century science and understanding of these ancient relatives.
​
Alongside her academic expertise and consultancy work, Rebecca has earned a reputation for exceptional public communication, with her writing featuring in The New York Times, The Times, The Guardian, Aeon and elsewhere. She is a popular speaker, appearing on programmes for BBC Radio 3 and 4 such as Front Row, Start The Week and The Infinite Monkey Cage, as well as numerous podcasts.
Fascinated by the past since childhood– including digging for pot sherds in the family garden–, Rebecca studied archaeology through to PhD level. She was especially drawn to the ancient world of the Palaeolithic. Her doctoral thesis, awarded in 2010, was the first synthesis of evidence for late Neanderthals in Britain, and she has since accrued numerous academic publications on their broader archaeology.