Laura Spinney

Absolutely. It was very much over generations. Successful is a word that troubles some linguists. What do you mean by successful? Many of those Indo-European languages died out along the way, but the ones that didn't and the ones whose descendants are still spoken today are the ones whose speakers were themselves adaptable and adapted in turn to their environments.

Absolutely. It was very much over generations. Successful is a word that troubles some linguists. What do you mean by successful? Many of those Indo-European languages died out along the way, but the ones that didn't and the ones whose descendants are still spoken today are the ones whose speakers were themselves adaptable and adapted in turn to their environments.

Absolutely. It was very much over generations. Successful is a word that troubles some linguists. What do you mean by successful? Many of those Indo-European languages died out along the way, but the ones that didn't and the ones whose descendants are still spoken today are the ones whose speakers were themselves adaptable and adapted in turn to their environments.

So these languages and the cultures and the genetics of the people who spoke them were always changing. We're never talking about the same entities across time. But again, you can see these relationships. So yes, and I think if you do want to talk about success, and I think you can talk about it if you qualify it. I mean, after all, it is the largest language family in the world.

So these languages and the cultures and the genetics of the people who spoke them were always changing. We're never talking about the same entities across time. But again, you can see these relationships. So yes, and I think if you do want to talk about success, and I think you can talk about it if you qualify it. I mean, after all, it is the largest language family in the world.

So these languages and the cultures and the genetics of the people who spoke them were always changing. We're never talking about the same entities across time. But again, you can see these relationships. So yes, and I think if you do want to talk about success, and I think you can talk about it if you qualify it. I mean, after all, it is the largest language family in the world.

But then the secret for me would be adaptability at each time. And the same of all other language families. The reasons that they're still spoken today and that they're so old is that those speakers were over many generations adaptable to their environments.

But then the secret for me would be adaptability at each time. And the same of all other language families. The reasons that they're still spoken today and that they're so old is that those speakers were over many generations adaptable to their environments.

But then the secret for me would be adaptability at each time. And the same of all other language families. The reasons that they're still spoken today and that they're so old is that those speakers were over many generations adaptable to their environments.

Absolutely. I think... I mean, the reason I wrote this book now is because the story has been so transformed over the last 10 years by the advent of ancient DNA, which now allows us to trace prehistoric migrants. But even if we know more than we did, say, 30 years ago, it's still highly contentious. And we still, you know, in a way we lack definitive answers.

Absolutely. I think... I mean, the reason I wrote this book now is because the story has been so transformed over the last 10 years by the advent of ancient DNA, which now allows us to trace prehistoric migrants. But even if we know more than we did, say, 30 years ago, it's still highly contentious. And we still, you know, in a way we lack definitive answers.

Absolutely. I think... I mean, the reason I wrote this book now is because the story has been so transformed over the last 10 years by the advent of ancient DNA, which now allows us to trace prehistoric migrants. But even if we know more than we did, say, 30 years ago, it's still highly contentious. And we still, you know, in a way we lack definitive answers.

And we always will because of the lack of writing, because these languages weren't written down for so long.

And we always will because of the lack of writing, because these languages weren't written down for so long.

And we always will because of the lack of writing, because these languages weren't written down for so long.

law so i think it's never going to be definitively settled some of the most basic concepts are still argued about like was there a homeland was there a birthplace and therefore you know i mean you're a historian you know history is rewritten for every generation and if history is rewritten for every generation then the prehistory many times more you know because it's that less

law so i think it's never going to be definitively settled some of the most basic concepts are still argued about like was there a homeland was there a birthplace and therefore you know i mean you're a historian you know history is rewritten for every generation and if history is rewritten for every generation then the prehistory many times more you know because it's that less

law so i think it's never going to be definitively settled some of the most basic concepts are still argued about like was there a homeland was there a birthplace and therefore you know i mean you're a historian you know history is rewritten for every generation and if history is rewritten for every generation then the prehistory many times more you know because it's that less

tangible that less accessible so i think it's definitely not a closed question and and my personal opinion is that it will never be but that doesn't make it any less fascinating and i don't think other people will ever stop asking questions about it either absolutely i think prehistory and especially as the further back you go is a fascinating field for the combination of archaeology and scientific modern scientific methods laura this has been absolutely fantastic chat last but certainly not least you mentioned your book your book it is called proto how one ancient language went global

tangible that less accessible so i think it's definitely not a closed question and and my personal opinion is that it will never be but that doesn't make it any less fascinating and i don't think other people will ever stop asking questions about it either absolutely i think prehistory and especially as the further back you go is a fascinating field for the combination of archaeology and scientific modern scientific methods laura this has been absolutely fantastic chat last but certainly not least you mentioned your book your book it is called proto how one ancient language went global