Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings

Incorporates the latest discoveries and theories from archaeology, genetics, history, and linguistics to paint a spirited history of European settlement

Who are the Europeans and where did they come from? In recent years scientific advances have released a mass of data, turning cherished ideas upside down. The idea of migration in prehistory, so long out of favor, is back on the agenda. New advances allow us to track human movement and the spread of crops, animals, and disease, and we can see the evidence of population crashes and rises, both continent-wide and locally. Visions of continuity have been replaced with a more dynamic view of Europe’s past, with one wave of migration followed by another, from the first human arrivals in Europe to the Vikings.

Ancient DNA links Europe to its nearest neighbors. It is not a new idea that farming was brought from the Near East, but genetics now reveal an unexpectedly complex process in which farmers arrived not in one wave, but several. Even more unexpected is the evidence that the European gene pool was stirred vigorously many times after farming had reached most of Europe. Climate change played a part in this upheaval, but so did new inventions such as the c and wheeled vehicles. Genetic and linguistic clues also enhance our understanding of the upheavals of the Migration Period, the wanderings of steppe nomads, and the adventures of the Vikings.
1114835987
Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings

Incorporates the latest discoveries and theories from archaeology, genetics, history, and linguistics to paint a spirited history of European settlement

Who are the Europeans and where did they come from? In recent years scientific advances have released a mass of data, turning cherished ideas upside down. The idea of migration in prehistory, so long out of favor, is back on the agenda. New advances allow us to track human movement and the spread of crops, animals, and disease, and we can see the evidence of population crashes and rises, both continent-wide and locally. Visions of continuity have been replaced with a more dynamic view of Europe’s past, with one wave of migration followed by another, from the first human arrivals in Europe to the Vikings.

Ancient DNA links Europe to its nearest neighbors. It is not a new idea that farming was brought from the Near East, but genetics now reveal an unexpectedly complex process in which farmers arrived not in one wave, but several. Even more unexpected is the evidence that the European gene pool was stirred vigorously many times after farming had reached most of Europe. Climate change played a part in this upheaval, but so did new inventions such as the c and wheeled vehicles. Genetic and linguistic clues also enhance our understanding of the upheavals of the Migration Period, the wanderings of steppe nomads, and the adventures of the Vikings.
22.49 In Stock
Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings

Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings

by Jean Manco
Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings

Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings

by Jean Manco

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Overview

Incorporates the latest discoveries and theories from archaeology, genetics, history, and linguistics to paint a spirited history of European settlement

Who are the Europeans and where did they come from? In recent years scientific advances have released a mass of data, turning cherished ideas upside down. The idea of migration in prehistory, so long out of favor, is back on the agenda. New advances allow us to track human movement and the spread of crops, animals, and disease, and we can see the evidence of population crashes and rises, both continent-wide and locally. Visions of continuity have been replaced with a more dynamic view of Europe’s past, with one wave of migration followed by another, from the first human arrivals in Europe to the Vikings.

Ancient DNA links Europe to its nearest neighbors. It is not a new idea that farming was brought from the Near East, but genetics now reveal an unexpectedly complex process in which farmers arrived not in one wave, but several. Even more unexpected is the evidence that the European gene pool was stirred vigorously many times after farming had reached most of Europe. Climate change played a part in this upheaval, but so did new inventions such as the c and wheeled vehicles. Genetic and linguistic clues also enhance our understanding of the upheavals of the Migration Period, the wanderings of steppe nomads, and the adventures of the Vikings.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780500771822
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Publication date: 10/23/2013
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 304
Sales rank: 738,769
File size: 14 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jean Manco was a building historian who trained within an archaeological unit and applied an interdisciplinary approach to her work. Her other books include Ancestral Journeys and The Origins of the Anglo-Saxons.

Table of Contents

Preface 6

1 Who Are the Europeans? 8

2 Migration: Principles and Problems 14

3 The First Europeans 49

4 Mesolithic Hunters and Fishermen 60

5 The First Farmers 72

6 Dairy Farming 95

7 The Copper Age 106

8 The Indo-European Family 122

9 Indo-Europeans and Genetics 145

10 Beaker Folk to Celts and Italics 158

11 Minoans and Mycenaeans 171

12 Iron Age Traders and Warriors 178

13 Etruscans and Romans 192

14 The Great Wandering 200

15 Enter the Slavs 224

16 Bulgars and Magyars 235

17 Vikings 241

18 Epilogue 262

Notes 265

Bibliography 277

Sources of Illustrations 307

Index 308

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