History’s Greatest Civilisations: Andante Travels launches ‘MEET THE PAST’
The ancient Egyptians assembled the pyramids; the ancient Greeks introduced the original form of democracy ; the Romans conquered nearly 3km2 of land; Machu Picchu was the handiwork of the Incas and without the Vikings, we wouldn’t get ‘angry’, go ‘berserk’ or be ‘dirty’ – these are prime examples of just some of the legacies and achievements of history’s greatest civilisations…
This July, specialist archaeological travel company Andante Travels is launching a brand new type of tour: ‘Meet the past’ Vibrant, fresh and comprehensive, the ten new tours will allow guests the chance to get under the skin of each civilisation, from the foundation of their being to their final dying lament.
The 15 new tours, running from 2014 and featuring guides who are some of the top academics from the archaeological world, include: The Romans, The Ancient Egyptians, The People of Pompeii, The Citizens of Constantinople, The Ancient Greeks, The Ice Age Artists of the Dordogne, The Western Front, The Vikings and The Nazca and the Inca.
Each tour has been carefully constructed to introduce each civilisation in its entirety, with a specially selected itinerary to include sites and monuments which best narrate the story. The need for any prior knowledge of the history is negated – each day, a new part of this story will unfold. All that is required is an enquiring mind and the thirst to know more about how these civilisations shaped our world.
Deputy Director Denise Allen commented: “We have designed these tours to encompass the whole life-cycle of a civilisation: birth, flourishing, peak, decline and fall. Each tells a story that is comprehensive and intimate: covering the grand sweep of empires, as well as the poignant everyday revelations about real people.”
‘Meet the Past’ tours may have stepped away slightly from the more archaeologically demanding tours the company have operated in the past, but still offer all the quality and integrity of a usual Andante tour. The new tours are led by the most respected and exciting archaeologists and academics in Britain today. No other company has a more specialised or highly qualified team and lecturers include Dr Neil Faulkner* FSA and leading academic Paul Bahn** in the mix.
Ian Finlay, CEO explained: “We are aiming to provide the same excellent standard of tour we have for 28 years. We have guide lecturers at the top of their field to provide structured academic content, use experienced tour managers, choose hand-picked hotels and can guarantee like-minded guests with whom to share the experiences. The difference between the ‘Meet the Past’ tours and our standard ‘Travels in Archaeology’ is the emphasis on the thorough introduction – or to put it another way, complete overview – to the period in question; a truly comprehensive way of meeting the people and places from our history, yet still in Andante’s friendly and relaxed fashion.”
Tours: Meet The Romans with Gillian Shepherd, John Shepherd, Dr Neil Faulkner
Meet The Ancient Egyptians with Lucia Gahlin
Meet The People of Pompeii with Alan French, Dr Neil Faulkner, Alastair Small, John Shepherd, Tony O’Connor, Tony Wilmott, Valerie Higgins & Eireann Marshall
Meet The Citizens of Constantinople with Terry Richardson, Julian Bennett
The Ancient Greeks with Sandy MacGillivray
Meet the Ice Age Artists of the Dordogne with Paul Bahn
The Western Front with Martin Brown
Meet The Vikings with Brian Ayers
The Nazca and Inca with David Drew
The People of Petra with Nick Jackson
For more information call visit www.meetingthepast.co.uk
