Wisdom of the Ancients: Life lessons from our distant past

by Neil Oliver

THE PERFECT READ FOR TROUBLED TIMES

From the bestselling author of The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places comes this inspiring and bea utifully written meditation on the wisdom inherited from our ancestors.

For all we have gained in the modern world, simple peace of mind is hard to find. In a time that is increasingly fraught with complexity and conflict, we are told that our wellbeing relies on remaining as present as possible. But what if the key to being present lies in the past?

In Wisdom of the Ancients , Neil Oliver takes us back in time, to grab hold of the ideas buried in forgotten cultures and early civilizations. From Laetoli footprints in Tanzania to Keralan rituals, stone circles and cave paintings, Oliver takes us on a global journey through antiquity. A master storyteller, drawing on immense knowledge of our ancient past, he distils this wisdom into twelve messages that have endured the test of time, and invites us to consider how these might apply to our lives today. The result is powerful and inspirational, moving and profound.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Ancient History, Audiobook, Historical, Archaeology

275 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2020

About the author

Neil Oliver is a Scottish archaeologist, historian, broadcaster and writer who has become widely known as the presenter of BBC television's series A History of Scotland and Coast.

His first fiction novel, Master of Shadows, is published by Orion in September 2015.

He lives in Stirling with his wife and three children.

Reviews

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a late convert to Neil Oliver. I missed the swooning over him in Coast and found his podcast just in time for him to upset many of his fans by having the audacity to talk about politics and question things (whatever your opinion of him surely as a historian he is just doing contemporaneously what future historians will be doing which is questioning decisions and looking at events in a wider context). Anyway it’s not the present I love Neil for – it’s his past.

I have been listening to his love letter to the British Isles and having got quite excited to find I have visited a fair few of the places it is now my mission to visit all one hundred of them (I managed to persuade some family members to accompany me to a crypt in a church which is a Viking burial site), but I digress as this book is about what we can learn about humanity and us as humans from the ancients.

In many ways the sentiment is opposite to SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Whereas Beard advises against looking at the past for lessons or congruence with today, Oliver takes the view that by looking at the people of the ancient world we can see that humanity remains essentially unchanged. That the desires, hopes, and fears of those living millennia ago were the same as ours are today.

The chapters are short and collated in sections that cover human existence – family, loss, memories – finishing with a few lines that link that particular group or event with a lesson for today. It could come across as a bit Thought for Today “…and you know that’s a bit like us today…” but manages to stay the right side of cheesy even if some of the lessons/links are a bit strained.

Highlights for me were the debunking of the notion that our ancient ancestors were all nomadic hunter gatherers and happy to be so by pointing to the evidence of permanent dwellings that were inhabited for generations at Lepenski Vir in Serbia and the poignant burial sites of children where the care taken and objects placed shows that even amid high mortality rates the notion that these children were not mourned the way a dead child is today is blatantly wrong. Incredibly one child buried over a millennia ago is strongly suspected of suffering foetal alcohol syndrome based on her skull structure which, as much as anything, strengthens Oliver’s assertion that essentially as humans our spirits exist in much the same way as they always have, both good and ill, and it is just our surroundings and accoutrements that progress.

A fascinating book that, like his podcast, gives you just enough information that you have learned something without overloading you with detail, leaving it open for you to research in more detail those aspects that call to you.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Within the first few pages of starting this book, I was hooked. Not only was the subject matter fascinating - drawing on all manner of forgotten cultures and ancient civilisations in a bid to understand the 'wisdom of the ancients' within the context of our own lives - Oliver's writing was deft and beautiful.

There were so many fascinating tales in here too, stories I'd never heard of. One that stuck with me was that of Whakatāne, in New Zealand. The word is derived from two separate words which, when put together, mean 'to act as a man'. Around 1000 BC, during a period of Maori migration, the men left the women alone in the canoe they'd arrived in while they went ashore. When the canoe started to drift back to sea, Wairaka, daughter of the captain-navigator Toroa, defied the ruling that forbade women to handle a canoe and seized the paddle to bring the boat back to shore. In her doing so, acting 'as a man', she saved the lives of the others aboard. Now, a statue stands in the mouth of the bay, commemorating her bravery. This is just one story that Oliver explores in brilliant detail. There is no shortage of wonder to be found within these pages. History is all around us, everywhere, living and breathing side by side with us. All we have to do in order to see it, is look.


'The Lady on the Rock', Whakatāne, New Zealand

[Flapper72 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I liked this book but I'm not quite sure really. It felt as if the author was floundering and I really wasn't sure what he wanted to get from the book. It made me feel sad because it feels as if he's struggling with how he sees life - are we all completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things (which is inordinately comforting to me) or is there a higher power directing our every last move. I think the former but then, at the beginning of chapters, there were often biblical quotes.
I enjoyed all the archeological evidence. All the people of millennia ago who still have stories to tell. How important they were to their loved ones and how they were treated by the world around them. I think I was meant to have respect for each and every individual, and I hope that I would if I were party to exploring their burial grounds and their mortal remains, but that is beyond the human condition. As Mr Oliver said; we are really only remembered for four generations and then there is no real memory of us. I find that so comforting. This life is so transient that it really doesn't matter. No one will every remember me because the world's been going round for longer than we can imagine with birth, living, suffering and death. I wanted to love this book but not sure if I'd really recommend it at all.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Patchy. There were some interesting bits, but some decidedly dodgy ones too. Did he really just say that the infusion of Neanderthal blood after leaving Africa made humanity great? Isn't that massively racist?

[Tanya (Novel Paperbacks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I expected of this, but I certainly did not expect this book to challenge my thinking the way it did. Using our history, Oliver shares the profound truths he has learnt and that have informed his life. These truths hit me hard and have had me pondering much since I started reading it. I felt quite emotional upon finishing this.

[Alaric Moras · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oliver writes well, this is for certain. But he hasn't understood the assignment; odd, since it is one of his own making. The book doesn't respond to its own interrogations, and the blurb and title are deceiving. Prepare, instead, for his rather random shifts in thought and moralising about how the world is, has been, and should be. Disappointing.

[Les Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not criticising the book but disagree with him.

[Boulder Boulderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dreadfully dull. It's not anything like how it's sold, or at least how I interpreted - i.e. some ancient philosophy, perhaps some Graeco-Roman, with some other cultures thrown in to share new viewpoints. Instead it's a series of rambling anecdotes about various archaeological sites, mostly in Scotland though a few more broadly, coupled with vague aphorisms about being aware of our surroundings and being nice to each other. I initially thought perhaps it was a collection of newspaper articles, but it doesn't seem to be.

Heavily Christian, and spouting some outdated and rather racist theories about how interbreeding with Netherandals gave Europeans the spark of consciousness and ability to become what we understand about humans (and therefore implicitly saying that Africans, Asians, don't have this spark). Avoid.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a magic carpet and it will take you to places in your mind you’ve not been before. It is both lyrical and erudite but grounded in real experience with real depth and philosophical investigation. Neil presents his findings like any museum exhibition in order to make sense of the chaos of who we are and what has propelled us forward to this place in time.
A great non-fiction book to give real hope in these interesting times we find ourselves living through.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Not what was on the blurb. Incoherent rambling!!

[Dr. T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wisdom of the ancients.*

*mostly england
*mostly men

There were some good facts and stories from history I really enjoyed... but then the author would start rambling on a tangent that often didn't really have that much to do with the historical anecdote... kinda like a slightly mad old professor vibe.
He often came to a conclusion I just thought was plain nonsense too.
F.example: he starts hypothesizing that people started farming so they could have homes which made it easier to raise more children... and before then they would just kill babies that were inconvenient. Like. What? You think people 30000 years ago killed healthy babies so they could have sex? That goes against our every instinct. Also, women 30000 years ago were aware of their cycles! There have literally been found bones from that time with 28-30 days marked on them. Also, have you seen any other mammal in the world?

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed Neil Oliver’s writing in the past but this one I found to be a bit of a mixed bag. It’s not really ‘wisdom’ of the ancients more ‘mysteries’ it discusses interesting archaeological discoveries but largely highlights how much we don’t know about what they mean. Ultimately there are more questions than answers here.

The writing is mostly good but gets a bit florid in places. Not one of his best.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking read. I really enjoyed this. Good to dib in and out of.

[Leigh McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - it was factual and really interesting but also written in a very unusual and sometimes quite a moving way.

[Hazel O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book recommended in a magazine and although I know nothing about archaeology it sounded interesting. I loved it almost all the way through. The earlier chapters focussed on ancient sites, around the world. They were described so beautifully that it was a slow read whilst I savoured the emotive writing - and then looked up the sites on the internet. (There are a few sketches but no pictures). On earlier chapters the historical site is all and Oliver can make a stone with some scratches on it thrilling. A short reflection at the end of each chapter made the mystery of distant ancestry truly thought provoking and exciting. I spent considerable time telling my other half all about it and he's going to read it as a result.
As the book went on the emphasis shifted and it seemed that the archaeology became almost incidental to Oliver's musings on life lessons as he moved more to legends and myth - and a faint sense that he just needed to be finished for the publisher! Somehow, the very real excitement and very moving sense of connection with the past, so ably generated in early chapters was lessened. Still well worth a read though and the early part is wonderful.

[Aaron Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book that will Will reread again and probably again

Another great book from Neil Oliver. I was hesitant with this book but got it and I'm so glad I did. I'll not go into to individual stories bits some will stay with me forever and hopefully make me that bit wiser. I will certainly keep this book forever and reread it from time to time.

[Cauldhamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to read.
Short, concise chapters filled with stories of human experiences.
As enjoyable to read as Harrari's Sapiens and Fry's Mythos.
Made me feel minuscule and amazed with life at times.

[Leisnic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short stories from the past using archaeological evidence and the likes. It can get quite a bit emotive and almost trippy/psychedelic at times. Not quite my cup of tea, a bit more sobriety would have been welcomed.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit padded out with flowery writing. Lots of irrelevant information. Preferred his other books

[Harrison Large · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, wow... How do I start this?

So I picked this up from The Works for about two quid, which is a bargain price for most books. I figured the Wisdom of the Ancients would be more of a philosophy book but it's just a history book, and not even particularly good one.

That might be a bit harsh. Oliver obviously knows what he is talking about. But his message is not focused at all. Is this a history book or a travel-lite memoir?

Here's what I expected: A book about ancient people's such as those who live on Easter Island, how they raised their children and community in line with mythology. How we as a society have lost touch with how to process emotions - these ancient people got by just fine, here's how they did it, so you should try this sometime. Pinch of salt ideas from each primative society - do what the Aztecs did, disconnect from the internet now and again (but don't disconnect the heart from the chest cavity).

Here's what I would have accepted: typical world mythology book.

Here's what I got: an entire paragraph on how gneat it is to say gneiss like gnyscht and not gnice.

Maybe I approached this wrong and if I stuck with it I'd have enjoyed it. But the tone was far too conversational for any deep insight into a topic. Good history, poor life advice though. Which wouldnt matter so much if it wasn't the title of the book.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book - Oliver writes well and has a lovely reading voice (Scottish). His approach to history and archaeology is one on not of primarily dates and numbers, but of the experience of humans and the world they lived in. From stories about finding footprints found in a bog in Scotland with shavings of flint that tell a story of a hunter stopping briefly to make or repair a tool to the bodies found in Denmark that were lovingly placed in graves with beautiful, valuable items.

From Aboriginal whalers in Australia that had a contract with Orca, the Maori navigators following the sea birds, the brutal price for the sun demanded by Huītzilōpōchtli to stone age brain surgery. Oliver points out that humanity is not just dates and figures, but a much broader and involved concept of time and space - symbolism and not just science.

Laced with anecdotes and experiences of his varied and interesting career, Oliver puts forward that our modern thinking could use a bit of perspective and wisdom from those in the past when it comes to what we value, what is important and ultimately ourselves and death.

Highly recommended.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished a fascinating book, WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS: LIFE LESSONS FROM OUR DISTANT PAST (2020) by author and documentary film producer Neil Oliver. Each chapter describes an ancient ruin or relic, the people who made the artefacts, and the human commonalities we share with those who often lived before there was any written history, hundreds, thousands, even millions of years ago. They, too, wandered about searching for better places to live. They formed bonds and grieved over lost family members. They told stories to explain their place in the cosmos. And sometimes they slaughtered innocent children by the thousands so their gods would ensure economic stability (the impulse towards killing unborn children is not new). In one of my favorite chapters, Oliver tells the story of the Eden whalers in Australia who formed a partnership with orca pods to hunt whales. It helps to have an iPhone handy to look up and view the ancient bones and stones Oliver describes. That said, the book reminds the reader what human life was like for eons before our contemporary addiction to computer technology. Thumbs up.

[Senioreuge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have see Oliver present several television programmes on natural history and history. He always engages with his audience with his passion and enthusiasm for his subject. I am sure I am not alone when I say that I do not always agree with all of his interpretations but such is the nature of historical discourse. It was, therefore, inevitable that I should purchase a copy of this work when I spotted it on a shelf in Waterstones, between the first and second lock down. I did, and have had a great deal of pleasure from reading it. It is thought provoking and while very wide ranging keeps pointedly at the main thesis he explores. I can and have already recommended it several friends and used some of the points made in discussions. I highly commend this work.

[Elaine Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s the first book I’ve read that Neil Oliver has written, so not sure if it’s how all his books are. I found it very honest, reflective and anecdotal. Alongside this, of course, was his knowledgeable recounting of ancient past people and events. I was born the same year as Neil, not that far away from him, relatively speaking, and so I completely got his reminiscing of his younger self and how different growing up then felt like to growing up now. Stripped of technology and much poorer in terms of material things although arguably richer in cheap and cheerful activities and social interactions. He helped me to remember my own childhood. I also appreciated his love of nature. His connection with his surroundings, his musings while walking his dog. He feels.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given Oliver's recent transformation into media presence, presenter and conspiracy theorist, I wasn't sure what to expect from this recent book of his. The good news is that it's seemingly written by the Oliver who presented COAST and all those interesting TV documentaries like VIKINGS years ago. It's broken into short chapters, detailing various historical sites around the world and linking them to the present. Heavily philosophical in tone, it generally involves Oliver crafting links between then and now and exploring why our ancestors are still very much relevant to us as people. I liked his easy reading style and found what he had to say most enlightening.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is a book that will need a revisit, a book that I will seriously need to sponge up each and every chapter and event. I have really through the process of reading this book gathered a kind of special insight into how the past can spiritually draw you in this modern day. Nature and this link in the continual flow of this high order simply makes us passengers into a spiritual world that has flown through thousands of years. This book has bought me back down to earth, and earth with all its glory has allowed me an insight into how small we are and how we need to take heed and try to understand the importance of what the ancients where clearly more connected too.

[GBL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Oliver reflects on our current situation as a species by exploring episodes from our past that provide a means of understanding who we are, where we are and what lies ahead.

In twelve sections he explains how we have developed as a species and how, in many ways, we have lost our connection to the past and to the knowledge that our ancestors had.

Oliver uses his knowledge and expertise as both historian and archaeologist to explain the historical context of the things he describes, but Oliver is also a storyteller who can bring the thoughtfulness and imagination necessary to take us beyond the physical into a more spiritual and philosophical dimension.

[Melissareads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting nuggets in this book and small bits of lovely writing, but the overall impression feels piecemeal. The book title is misleading. The focus doesn’t feel like it’s on wisdom we can draw from ancient cultures. My takeaway is that life has been tough for humans since the beginning of time for different reasons, and continues to be tough. At times, the author lost me with his use of place specific vocabulary, descriptions, and names. The book seems heavy on U.K. archeology and history. If you’re familiar with the places he writes about, the book would probably be more appealing to you.

[Mr Alister Cryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frustrating

I would have liked to give this book a five star review. An interesting foray into geology and archaeology but lacking much of the wisdom offered by the title. Also I was very irritated by "Those soldiers left behind a Britain that has not known an engulfing war for most of a century..." as a description of the First World War. This is simply historically sloppy and encourages an ignorant view of history ignoring the numerous wars fought between the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War.

[Linda Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this book but it was nice surprise. I'm not interested in ancient history normally but Neil always makes it easy to understand and accessible. This book is about connection with each other and the world around us, the peace of mind we can gain from that in 12 stories going back to dinosaurs and Tollund man. In a crazy world dealing with the aftermath of the isolation many people have experienced due to covid, this book is a breath of fresh air and much needed. We are all connected and need to ensure that remains.