The World Before Us

Fascinating and deeply researched. Higham conveys the thrill of archaeological discovery eruditely and accessibly – Alexander Larman * Guardian *A gripping account of Earth’s other humans – New ScientistThe remarkable new science of palaeoanthropology, from lab bench to trench – Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of KindredThe application of new genetic science to pre-history is analogous to how the telescope transformed astronomy. Tom Higham, one of the world’s leading scientists in the field, brings us to the frontier of recent discoveries with a book that is both gripping and fun. And the results are astonishing. It matters: understanding our evolutionary origins reveals our innate strengths as a species – Paul Collier, author of The Bottom BillionA brilliant exposition of the way in which archaeology and science are completely changing our understanding of early humans. This is a fast-moving story written with verve and enthusiasm by one of the scientists deeply involved in tracking down the evidence. Essential reading for all interested in our early ancestors and the sheer excitement of their discovery – Barry Cunliffe, author of The ScythiansA brilliant distillation of the ideas and discoveries revolutionising our understanding of human evolution. Tom Higham, one of the leaders of the revolution and the cutting-edge science on which it is based, introduces us to a complex world of many human species, whose genes and deeds live on in us today – Chris Gosden, author of The History of MagicTom Higham has been at the pulsating centre of the close collaboration between archaeologists and geneticists that in the last few years discovered our previously unknown cousins - the Denisovans - and revealed the lost world in which they, Neanderthals and modern humans interacted and interbed. His thrilling book gives us a court-side view of this scientific revolution – David Reich, author of Who We Are and How We Got HereA bang-up-to-date insider’s review of a critical period in the emergence of modern humans. It also provides fascinating, intelligible and authoritative glimpses into a wide variety of new technologies – Ian Tattersall, co-author of The Accidental Homo sapiens: Genetics, Behavior, and Free Will

Tom Higham is Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit. He has worked on the remains of Richard III, The Elephant Man and Egyptian pharaohs. Since 2010 he has been at the forefront of research on a new species of human, the Denisovans. This is his first book for a general readership.