People of the Earth ― An Introduction to World Prehistory

People of the Earth is a narrative account of the prehistory of humankind from our origins over 3 million years ago to the first pre-industrial civilizations, beginning about 5,000 years ago. This is a global prehistory, which covers prehistoric times in every corner of the world, in a jargon-free style for newcomers to archaeology. Many world histories begin with the first civilizations. This book starts at the beginning of human history and summarizes the latest research into such major topics as human origins, the emergence and spread of modern humans, the first farming, and the origins of civilization.

People is unique in its even balance of the human past, in its readily accessible style, and flowing narrative that carries the reader through the long sweep of our past. Boxes and sidebars describe key dating methods and important archaeological sites. This classic world prehistory sets the standard for books on the subject and is the most widely used prehistory textbook in the world.

This book is aimed at introductory students in archaeology and anthropology taking survey courses on the prehistoric past, as well as more advanced readers. It will also appeal to students of human responses to climatic and environmental change.

Brian Fagan is one of the world’s leading writers in the field of archaeology and an internationally recognized authority on world prehistory. He studied archaeology and anthropology at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, and then spent seven years in sub-Saharan Africa working in museums and in monuments conservation and excavating early farming sites in Zambia and East Africa. He was one of the pioneers of multidisciplinary African history in the 1960s. Now Professor Emeritus, from 1967 to 2003 he was Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Professor Fagan has written seven best-selling textbooks: Ancient Lives: An Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory; In the Beginning; Archaeology: A Brief Introduction; World Prehistory; Ancient Civilizations (with Chris Scarre), A Brief History of Archaeology; and this volume, which are used around the world. His general books include The Rape of the Nile, a classic history of Egyptology; The Adventure of Archaeology; Ancient North America; The Little Ice Age; The Long Summer; Chaco Canyon; Fish on Friday; The Great Warming, and Elixir: A History of Humankind and Water. He was also General Editor of the Oxford Companion to Archaeology. In addition, he has published several scholarly monographs on African archaeology and numerous specialized articles in national and international journals. He was the recipient of the Society for American Archaeology’s first Public Education Award for his indefatigable efforts on behalf of archaeology and education.

Brian Fagan’s other interests include bicycling, sailing, kayaking, and good food. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and daughter, three cats (who supervise his writing), and last but not least, a minimum of seven rabbits.

Nadia Durrani is an archaeologist and writer. She contributes to a wide range of archaeological publications and is the former editor of Britain’s two best-selling archaeological magazines, Current World Archaeology, and Current Archaeology. Over the years she has authored and edited countless articles on archaeology from every corner of the globe. Nadia has also co-edited several text-books with Brian, contributed to dozens of other books, and written two: The Tihamah Coastal Plain of South-West Arabia; and In Search of the Zeppelin War: the archaeology of the First Blitz (with Neil Faulkner).

Her background is in Arabian archaeology and, following a degree in archaeology and anthropology from Cambridge University, she took a PhD in South West Arabian archaeology from University College London (2001). Nadia remains actively involved in Arabian studies and is on the board of the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia. She is also a founding member of the Great War Archaeology Group, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. She lives in London with her husband and young son.