Ancestors

A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials

By: Alice Roberts

Narrated by: Alice Roberts

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

An extraordinary exploration of the ancestry of Britain through seven burial sites. By using new advances in genetics and taking us through important archaeological discoveries, Professor Alice Roberts helps us better understand life today.

‘This is a terrific, timely and transporting book - taking us heart, body and mind beyond history, to the fascinating truth of the prehistoric past and the present’ Bettany Hughes

We often think of Britain springing from nowhere with the arrival of the Romans. But in Ancestors, pre-eminent archaeologist, broadcaster and academic Professor Alice Roberts explores what we can learn about the very earliest Britons, from burial sites and by using new technology to analyse ancient DNA.

Told through seven fascinating burial sites, this groundbreaking prehistory of Britain teaches us more about ourselves and our history: how people came and went and how we came to be on this island. It explores forgotten journeys and memories of migrations long ago, written into genes and preserved in the ground for thousands of years.

This is a book about belonging: about walking in ancient places, in the footsteps of the ancestors. It explores our interconnected global ancestry, and the human experience that binds us all together. It’s about reaching back in time, to find ourselves, and our place in the world.

CRYPT, THE FINAL BOOK IN ALICE ROBERTS' BRILLIANT TRILOGY, IS OUT NOW.

©2021 Alice Roberts (P)2021 Simon & Schuster UK

Critic reviews

'This is a book everyone should read. Roberts is the new Da Vinci, able to shift between science and humanities, the objective and subjective, the global and the individual. There is such a scope of knowledge between the covers of this book that you feel like a better and more knowledgeable person having read it. A mind-altering, life-altering book.' (Dr Janina Ramirez)

‘While the rest of us read words, Alice reads bones - and what stories they have to tell. In her hands they seem slick with life, bearing messages from ancient worlds. I was captivated.' (Neil Oliver)

'Another classic from Alice Roberts. She writes as a scholar with the intensity and flair of a novelist.' (Dan Snow)

‘Roberts is a prolific TV presenter, and Ancestors skilfully deploys the arts of screen storytelling: narrative pace, a sense of mysteries being unfolded. […] [It] is above all a tribute to the archaeological profession.’ (Dan Hitchens)

Gender lecture

Enjoyed the journey throughout the book. Did not enjoy a political lecture in end about five or more genders because of a mirror. Buried my grande his wife’s jewley because it was a gift. Don’t infer gender by grave goods. Contradictory. Enjoyable voice.

Great losten

Really enjoyed this audible book. Well paced and interesting. Alice Roberts has a easy to follow voice. Recommend.

Current narrative

The coverage of up to date knowledge of ancient Britain in regard to archeological and DNA evidence is fascinating. The author however cannot help but intersperse this with long digressions of some feminist, gender and historical perspectives that can currently be found being pushed on many humanities faculties. Finding a mirror in a probable male grave somehow leads to a lecture on current leftist gender views and the statement that there may be five or more genders? Another example is the description of how there was an almost complete replacement of people’s in Britain with the new peoples exhibiting identifiably different DNA, physiology and culture. That all leads into a lecture on racism and how anyone not agreeing is a racist. Yet one definition of race is “A race is a grouping of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into categories generally viewed as distinct by society.”
Confusing, it’s almost as if she if arguing against herself or was it necessary to make such statements to get published?
Other than that it’s an interesting listen.

Not just scientific but engaging and personal, as well

I loved the conversational tone of the writer/reader. It made me feel as if I were walking beside her and looking into the past along with her. I appreciated her frank discussion about the pitfalls of allowing preconceived ideas to influence our interpretation of the remnants of history.

Excellent up-to-date perspectives on archaeology

Alice Roberts combines the personal with the professional in her engaging history not just of seven burials, but, also of the changing nature of archeology due both to technical advances and philosophical changes in the way we construe concepts such as "culture," "gender," and "community." Her descriptions of the burials themselves, in chronological order, provide a marvelous sense of the form and contents of the burials, the similarities as well as key differences between them. Roberts often steps back from the description to discuss how these objects and places have been considered by those who discovered or studied them in the past, as well as how she and other scholars think about them today. Through this we get a veritable history of archaeological approaches that is quite thought-provoking in terms of how each era or area constructs notions of community, ritual, status, gender and power, among others. Roberts draws on many scholars, past and present, to illuminate differing theories and ways of considering artifacts and how they produce meaning for those who encounter them and interpret them to the wider public. In the process, she encourages her readers to understand not only how access to objective facts about grave goods have become more available through DNA, radio-carbon dating and other techniques,--often challenging long-held theories-- but also how scholars' subjective assumptions and biases contribute to beliefs about such concepts as cultural identity, human nature, community and progress. Roberts' accessible language, explanations and examples invite all readers to consider how knowledge of the human past is created.

More past less present

This was not as advertised. Mostly speculation . I did enjoy the listen , it was mostly what earlier people did and thought and how they got it wrong or right.

Brilliant in all aspects until we hit chapter 12

Brilliant in all aspects until we hit chapter 12 And then the gender identity discussions began.

Misleading title, doesn't focus on the ancestors.

Was more about the boring, small minded, religious, men making foolish assumptions about archeological discoveries than about the ancient ancestors themselves. I listened for a few hours about their foolhardy leaps in logic and religion-bound prejudices before I just became too frustrated to keep listening. Why did we spend so much time with their stories, instead of learning about the actual ancestors?

Highly recommend

Alice Roberts is an excellent narrator and public historian. The book is well-written, engaging and the subject matter is very thought-provoking.

Enjoyable and informative

I liked the pacing and information. I appreciate the information on how things are tested and information on related finds, I recommend this book,