What happened in history before ancient Greeks and Romans? In this course, we’ll cover the story of humanity, from our origins in East Africa to the world’s first pre-industrial civilizations. Over ten audio lessons, you’ll learn about human origins some three million years ago, explore the origins of modern humans, ourselves, and our colonization of the Old World and the Americas. We’ll also explore the origins of agriculture and animal domestication and explain why the changeover from hunting and gathering took place. After listening to this course, you’ll have an entirely new perspective on our past.
British-born Brian Fagan is one of the world’s best-known archeological writers. He learned archeology and anthropology at Cambridge University and set his early career in Africa. Today, he’s Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Brian worked in Zambia and East Africa for seven years in the early 1960s, where he became involved in the study of early African farming villages and the writing of pre-colonial African history.
Since 1967, Brian has focused on writing and speaking about archeology to general audiences. His many books include college texts, three volumes for the National Geographic Society, and a series of works on ancient climate change. He’s recognized as a leading expert on the early history of humankind.
Brian’s other interests including sailing and bicycling, good food, and cats.
