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People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory
For courses in Introduction to Archaeology. This comprehensive and well-established text is appropriate for courses in world prehistory taught in anthropology departments. It tells the beginning student a narrative story of human prehistory with a global voice and without a specific theoretical viewpoint. Designed to show how today's diverse humanity developed biologically and culturally over millions of years against a background of constant climatic change, it treats all areas of the world evenly and covers all periods of prehistory from human origins to the appearance of literate civilizations. Recent discoveries, new archaeological methodologies, and the latest theories of human biological and cultural evolution are emphasized throughout.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Brian M. Fagan
180 books270 followersBrian Murray Fagan was a British author of popular archaeology books and a professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 27, 2013
[Book 2 of my 2013 goal to read 26 history books in historical sequence]
I cannot tell a lie; this was a chore.
I was seeking a book that comprehensively covers the rise of the world's first civilizations and the crucial transition from hunter-gathering to agriculture. This book solidly fit the bill, but it's an undergraduate textbook and - surprise! - it reads like one. The writing is solid and clear, and the author consistently distinguishes established understanding from contested theory, but the undergraduate-level language is just too dry and simplistic for reading enjoyment. And I'm a stubborn reader; I know I can walk away if I'm not having fun, but I usually don't.
The first 300 pages were enjoyable enough, until the crucial period of transition (the processes of which, as it turns out, very little is known). But the second half, which surveys early civilizations for each region of the world, was too cursory and high level to keep my interest. I will probably seek more detailed works focusing on the prehistory and early history of each individual region as my history project proceeds.
On the plus side: it's richly illustrated, includes consistently placed maps for each chapter that reliably show all locations mentioned in the text, and includes interesting side bars on archaeological digs and discoveries.
I cannot tell a lie; this was a chore.
I was seeking a book that comprehensively covers the rise of the world's first civilizations and the crucial transition from hunter-gathering to agriculture. This book solidly fit the bill, but it's an undergraduate textbook and - surprise! - it reads like one. The writing is solid and clear, and the author consistently distinguishes established understanding from contested theory, but the undergraduate-level language is just too dry and simplistic for reading enjoyment. And I'm a stubborn reader; I know I can walk away if I'm not having fun, but I usually don't.
The first 300 pages were enjoyable enough, until the crucial period of transition (the processes of which, as it turns out, very little is known). But the second half, which surveys early civilizations for each region of the world, was too cursory and high level to keep my interest. I will probably seek more detailed works focusing on the prehistory and early history of each individual region as my history project proceeds.
On the plus side: it's richly illustrated, includes consistently placed maps for each chapter that reliably show all locations mentioned in the text, and includes interesting side bars on archaeological digs and discoveries.
March 8, 2010
Fagan's "introduction to world prehistory" provides a good summary of human emergence from our African ape-man origins, our migration across the earth as hunter gathers, and the earliest beginnings (10,000 BCE into the current era) of agriculture and urban life. Fagan's book has excellent maps, illustrations and pictures to supplement his text, and he covers Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Far East, and the Americas as well as the Near East and Europe. Since this edition was published (1986), significant work has been done on tracing human migration around the earth through DNA, but this later information seems to be generally consistent with what Fagan describes in his use of archaeological evidence.
A few points leap out of Fagan's book. First, he describes the role of the later glaciations (and interglacial periods) in shaping human migration patterns. For example, hunters followed migratory herds north; coming out of Africa, glaciation pushed early human migration toward the east and southeast; and the Bearing land bridge allowed migration into the Americas. Second, given the significance of the transition for our hunter gather past to agriculture and the advent of civilization (roughly 10,000 to 4,000 BCE in the Near East, Far East, and the Americas), it is still interesting that the explanation for this transformation remains largely unsettled. Third, human population, agriculture and civilization has exploded since the last glacial warming (10,000 BCE) but if this period is but an interlude to what has been a series of glacial and interglacial periods that have occurred regularly over the last 700,000 years, a looming question is what lies ahead for humans when (if) worldwide glaciation occurs again? This is a question posed by Fagan's 2004 book, "The Long Summer." Fourth, in pulling together the increasing complexity of human prehistory, it is clear that we are on the front wave of a history that will continue well into the future, and there will be a time when those who follow will look back and see us as we now see Mesopotamia, the Egyptian and Shang dynasties, and the civilizations of the Harappans, Olmecs and Mayans.
In his discussions of the theoretical underpinnings to the study of prehistory, Fagan notes "two dramatically contrasting viewpoints" between most anthropologists, who believe that human behavior is not constrained by genetics, and by sociobiologists who "believe that cultural expression is a flimsy blanket for compelling genetic imperatives." Fagan takes no particular position here, but the reader cannot help but see that certain human behaviors across unconnected cultures - related to power, rank, tribalism, self-interest, religion - suggest human (biological) constants, however varied their cultural manifestation, and that these two theoretical approaches may be complementary, not opposed.
A few points leap out of Fagan's book. First, he describes the role of the later glaciations (and interglacial periods) in shaping human migration patterns. For example, hunters followed migratory herds north; coming out of Africa, glaciation pushed early human migration toward the east and southeast; and the Bearing land bridge allowed migration into the Americas. Second, given the significance of the transition for our hunter gather past to agriculture and the advent of civilization (roughly 10,000 to 4,000 BCE in the Near East, Far East, and the Americas), it is still interesting that the explanation for this transformation remains largely unsettled. Third, human population, agriculture and civilization has exploded since the last glacial warming (10,000 BCE) but if this period is but an interlude to what has been a series of glacial and interglacial periods that have occurred regularly over the last 700,000 years, a looming question is what lies ahead for humans when (if) worldwide glaciation occurs again? This is a question posed by Fagan's 2004 book, "The Long Summer." Fourth, in pulling together the increasing complexity of human prehistory, it is clear that we are on the front wave of a history that will continue well into the future, and there will be a time when those who follow will look back and see us as we now see Mesopotamia, the Egyptian and Shang dynasties, and the civilizations of the Harappans, Olmecs and Mayans.
In his discussions of the theoretical underpinnings to the study of prehistory, Fagan notes "two dramatically contrasting viewpoints" between most anthropologists, who believe that human behavior is not constrained by genetics, and by sociobiologists who "believe that cultural expression is a flimsy blanket for compelling genetic imperatives." Fagan takes no particular position here, but the reader cannot help but see that certain human behaviors across unconnected cultures - related to power, rank, tribalism, self-interest, religion - suggest human (biological) constants, however varied their cultural manifestation, and that these two theoretical approaches may be complementary, not opposed.
November 12, 2013
I give up. I've been working on this one off and on for the better part of two years; it reads just like the fusty old textbook you'd expect. It's a litany of facts and terms, with nothing to keep them in your head longer than the next quiz. If you're not required to read this, skip it and pick up Guns, Germs and Steel - a real book written by a real expert with real care.
August 30, 2018
I used this as a student for an Introduction to Archaeology course. It's an adequate overview of world prehistory, but it has quite a few errors and flaws (something that's bound to happen when one author attempts to summarize the collective knowledge of the entire archaeological community). As a professor, I prefer to use edited volumes such as Chris Scarre's 'The Human Past' for the sake of accuracy (though this is a MUCH weightier text & can be a little daunting for the average student).
June 19, 2019
a great standard text; a bit too much for non anthropology/ archaeology majors.
July 8, 2008
As far as textbooks go....I really loved this class. It was absolutely facinating. I ended up with a 98 percent average so that was good. (That makes me really like the book! :) ) I guess that's not bad for an "old woman" trying to make it at BYU again. I just hope the rest of my classes go that well.
January 20, 2008
Focusing on the origins of human beings up to the development of literature, this text examines the fossil record and collects an incredible amount of data about human evolution.
July 18, 2009
Great to get a overall high-level sense of what humans were doing and like from earliest stone tool makers to beginning of all the major civilizations around the world.
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January 23, 2024Regrettably many factual errors and factless extrapolations.
This book provides a good overview of archaeology but it needed a knowledeable editor to tidy up the times when the author drifts off into conjecture without any real evidence. There are also demonstrations of lack of scientific knowledge as when early hominims are described as different species but crossbreeding ( by definition a species cannot crossbreed with another species). Some of the illustrations are ridiculously captioned - a drawing of an Indian rhino is labelled as a mythical creature as is the drawing from the Noorlangie cave in australia when it is clearly a woman in parturition (it is a womens place cave). These are only some from a single reading.
I would certainly expect my twelve year old granddaughter to read this, but it could be made more useful by better exposition of scientific method both in excavation and specimen analysis, and more rigorous editing. Hopefully there will be a second edition with improvements and corrections.
This book provides a good overview of archaeology but it needed a knowledeable editor to tidy up the times when the author drifts off into conjecture without any real evidence. There are also demonstrations of lack of scientific knowledge as when early hominims are described as different species but crossbreeding ( by definition a species cannot crossbreed with another species). Some of the illustrations are ridiculously captioned - a drawing of an Indian rhino is labelled as a mythical creature as is the drawing from the Noorlangie cave in australia when it is clearly a woman in parturition (it is a womens place cave). These are only some from a single reading.
I would certainly expect my twelve year old granddaughter to read this, but it could be made more useful by better exposition of scientific method both in excavation and specimen analysis, and more rigorous editing. Hopefully there will be a second edition with improvements and corrections.
September 22, 2017
Anthropology text book that you can read as a book. Gave a good appreciation of scientific thinking on the beginnings of humankind
May 17, 2023
Textbook for Honors 297: The Archaeology of Environmental Transitions and Disasters.
November 8, 2013
Good overview, but a few points that could be improved upon.
At one point the author begins discussing Mousterian tools, followed by a section on Levallois technique. He then goes on to talk about both of them, without saying how they are related in any way.
He does something similar in the section of Homo Ergaster & Erectus.
At one point the author begins discussing Mousterian tools, followed by a section on Levallois technique. He then goes on to talk about both of them, without saying how they are related in any way.
He does something similar in the section of Homo Ergaster & Erectus.
December 19, 2008
I read an older edition than this, but I think Fagan is excellent.
June 22, 2017
Fagan has so many good texts out there.
November 24, 2012
I'd give it more stars if it was more memorable. As of today I don't remember much from it, but I remember I didn't hate it so that is around 2 stars....
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews