On the Ocean – the Mediterranean and the Atlantic from Prehistory to 1500 AD

I reviewed Sir Barry's last brilliant work, Between Steppe, Desert and Ocean just over a year ago and here he has produced another magisterial tour de force replete with informative charts and beautiful illustrations. The scope of the book is equally epic, and some themes such as the development of trade routes reappear a new context. As one would expect, the narrative unfolds historically as we learn about the fascinating contrasts between the enclosed Mediterranean and the seemingly boundless Atlantic. And although the topography is broadly similar over the centuries, the outlook of those who live there changes over time. Interestingly, the maps are arranged with West at the top, which makes for an intriguing reinterpretation of conventional perception. Right at the outset, the author draws a sharp contrast between the land marked with human activity and the sea, which has no history and always presents a challenge to humans with its ceaseless motion and ever present danger, archetypally personified by mythological monsters. As an archaeologist, Sir Barry goes back further than historians and faces the problem of relative lack of evidence on which to base historical models (as he points out, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence). For instance, we know from remains that people travelled to Crete tens of thousands of years ago, but there is of course no trace of their wooden boats. In other cases, the best evidence of commodities traded is provided by one or more of the 120 wrecks in the Mediterranean.

In a chapter referring to the combat that is called navigation, the reader gains a detailed knowledge of Mediterranean currents and winds, as for example through the Straits of Gibraltar. The development of technology is clearly correlated with advances in boatbuilding, but again there is no extant evidence before 5500 BC. It is extraordinary to discover that the Egyptian pharaoh Necho sent an expedition clockwise round Africa to prove it was surrounded by water in 600 BC. Following on from that period, Sir Barry discusses advances leading to much larger ships used for warfare - indeed, later in the book he specifies the three functions of trade, raid and migration. Some of these trade patterns can also be inferred from archaeological finds in a variety of places, for instance wine amphorae. Moving on, we come to the Vikings and their adventures, for which we have more extant evidence. More powerful boats enabled extensive warfare to be conducted at sea, later exacerbated by competition for colonies - this is only just beginning after Columbus in the early 1500s, when the book ends. Sir Barry makes the interesting point that in this respect the sea can be regarded as the driving force in human history as European powers overcame its challenge and expanded into other parts of the world. Another fascinating sub-theme covered is the overseas migration of early Christian settlers, especially from Ireland to Scotland. By the time readers come to the end of this richly detailed odyssey, they have a greatly enhanced appreciation of role of the sea, navigation and trade in the history of Western civilisation. The book is an extraordinary achievement, all the more so for its engaging and elegant style.