About the Book…
On paths, roads, seas, in the air, and in space – there has never been so much human movement. In contrast we think of the past as static, ‘frozen in time’. But archaeologists have in fact always found evidence for humanity’s irrepressible restlessness. Now, latest developments in science and archaeology are transforming this evidence and overturning how we understand the past movement of humankind.
In this book, archaeologist Jim Leary traces the past 3.5 million years to reveal how people have always been moving, how travel has historically been enforced (or prohibited) by people with power, and how our forebears showed incredible bravery and ingenuity to journey across continents and oceans.
With Leary to show the way, you’ll follow the footsteps of early hunter-gatherers preserved in mud, and tread ancient trackways hollowed by feet over time. Passing drovers, wayfarers and pilgrims, you’ll see who got to move, and how people moved. And you’ll go on long-distance journeys and migrations to see how movement has shaped our world.
About the Author…
Dr Jim Leary lectures in Archaeology at the University of York. Formally the Director of the Field School at the University of Reading and before that a prehistorian with English Heritage and the 2012 ‘Field Archaeologist in Residence’ at Cambridge University, Jim Leary has many years professional experience in archaeology. He has directed major excavations, including into Silbury Hill and Marden henge, and has published widely on archaeology, specifically prehistory.
