Humans
The First Seven Million Years
Will be published approx. on 25. February 2027
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-241-75470-2 (ISBN)
Description
'Chris Gosden brings his encyclopaedic knowledge of world archaeology to bear on some of the most urgent issues of our time' David Wengrow, author of The Dawn of Everything
What if everything you thought you knew about human history was only part of the story?
Life for our earliest ancestors was demanding, dangerous and short, with only the fittest surviving. Homo sapiens triumphed over other related species, creating productive agricultural societies, which grew in scale and complexity until we reached our current state of civilisation.
This human story is simple and well accepted. It is also wrong.
Humans: Our Seven Million Year History challenges this linear narrative of inevitable human progress and offers a radical re-examination of our global past. Professor Chris Gosden reveals the sheer scale and depth of human difference, charting the alternative paths human societies have followed across time - exploring some of our ancestors' challenging rituals, collaborative communities, and rich emotional lives.
And, by reinterpreting our deep past, Gosden radically reimagines our future, showing how modern issues like wealth inequality and environmental degradation weren't predetermined, and arguing that our current system of profit-driven capitalism may not always dominate.
He uses a lifetime's research across archaeology, geology and anthropology, presenting ground-breaking discoveries, from the study of ancient tooth plaque to advanced climate models, and compelling storytelling, in a remarkably ambitious, one-of-a-kind journey through our collective human history.
What if everything you thought you knew about human history was only part of the story?
Life for our earliest ancestors was demanding, dangerous and short, with only the fittest surviving. Homo sapiens triumphed over other related species, creating productive agricultural societies, which grew in scale and complexity until we reached our current state of civilisation.
This human story is simple and well accepted. It is also wrong.
Humans: Our Seven Million Year History challenges this linear narrative of inevitable human progress and offers a radical re-examination of our global past. Professor Chris Gosden reveals the sheer scale and depth of human difference, charting the alternative paths human societies have followed across time - exploring some of our ancestors' challenging rituals, collaborative communities, and rich emotional lives.
And, by reinterpreting our deep past, Gosden radically reimagines our future, showing how modern issues like wealth inequality and environmental degradation weren't predetermined, and arguing that our current system of profit-driven capitalism may not always dominate.
He uses a lifetime's research across archaeology, geology and anthropology, presenting ground-breaking discoveries, from the study of ancient tooth plaque to advanced climate models, and compelling storytelling, in a remarkably ambitious, one-of-a-kind journey through our collective human history.
Reviews / Votes
Humans: The First Seven Million Years is a work of truly unrivalled scope: Chris Gosden brings his encyclopaedic knowledge of world archaeology to bear on some of the most urgent issues of our time. -- David Wengrow * Professor of Comparative Archaeology, University College London, and co-author of The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity. *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 44 mm
Weight
808 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-75470-2 (9780241754702)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
approx. 02/2027
Penguin Books Ltd
€14.99
Not yet available
Person
Chris Gosden is Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Previously he was a curator and lecturer at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford. Gosden is a fellow of the British Academy and the Society of Antiquaries, as well as a trustee of the Art Fund, the British Museum and chair of trustees for Oxford Archaeology. He has written or edited eighteen academic books, and for a general readership, is the author of the highly-acclaimed The History of Magic.