“And the past belongs to everyone.” – Professor Alice Roberts, Ancestors.

I must confess that this burgundy bestseller of a book sat on my shelf for far too long. Gifted by Mum and Paul, in Christmas 2022, it lay on a shelf devoted to books that I will read. Eventually.

Slowly and surely, like the remains of an ancient body arriving at the tip of an archaeological trowel, the book departed the shelf and found eyes upon it. Dusting down the top, it opened, unfurling mysteries, tales, and fables, alongside cutting edge sciences and graphic use of vocabulary.

Professor Alice Roberts first caught my attention on BBC’s Coast, and since then, a variety of television shows. I have a crush on her intellectual prowess and passion for her chosen field of expertise. I love how a bright spark seeks newness, raw knowledge, and extrapolates ideas, developing within a text or a show, or in the good Professor’s case, as a person.

Exploring neolithic, Iron Age, Bronze Ages, and a whole layer of timeliness, British history, human remains, personalities such as Pitt Rivers, and conflicting progressives explore our Before Common Era. Here, Roberts explains the dangers of assumption and the pitfalls of satisfying a narrative.

Final confession time. I spent time savouring this read over a few weeks, intertwining my reading amongst other books. Overall, essential reading is all about exploring a genre or topic of unfamiliar ideas. I am now neither expert nor amateur, but like an archaeologicalist digging ploughed Wiltshire soil, I have a sound glimpse into the past.