Many years ago i bought a second hand version of In Search of the Indo-Europeans (1991) in Canada. By 2025 the author has long been retired, yet he found himself writing a third overview of the research into the Indo-Europeans. This time the focus is on the “homeland”.
I like a book with a high ‘information rate’, but Mallory’s latest book is 450 pages of information tsunami. Also he likes acronyms, such as EHG for “Eastern Hunter-Gatherers”, which he uses a lot. Often I had to look back what all the acronyms meant again.
The book (again) starts with a bit of a general part. Defining the subject, investigating the sources of terms, different kinds of research. Then follows a lengthy part with different hypothesis and their pros and cons. Interesting in Mallory is that he doesn’t bet on one horse, but combines the findings of linguistic, archaeological and genetic research.
This results in much information about different techniques and theories in each of these fields, different datings, etc. Especially the genetic part is quite tough with different types of DNA for example. Especially modern genetic research brought new insights and ideas, but…
after a half-century study I am pretty much where I started: I believe the Indo-European homeland lies in the Pontic-Caspian steppe because it is the one that satisfies the greatest number of constituencies and provides the strongest case for explaining the dispersal of the Indo-Europeans.
Much water went under the bridge to come to this conclusion. If you are interested in the latest research into the subject, Mallory’s latest book makes a good buy. He has got nice humour, but also does not shy to present difficult information and critique on his own and other theories. The conclusion is still, that we cannot be sure.
2025 Thames & Hudson, isbn 050002863X
