Magical Pasts

Let's start 2026 off with a little bit of magic! Suggestions had to include stories about magic in relation to history or archaeology. Could be fantasy stories about the past/archaeology featuring magical worlds, tales of (pre) historic rituals, investigations into the archaeology of magic, etc.

After being presented with a shortlist, the final vote was for… (keep scrolling!)

The History of Magic

Chris Gosden

Three great strands of practice and belief run through human history: science, religion and magic. But magic - the idea that we have a connection with the universe - has developed a bad reputation.

It has been with us for millennia - from the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America and Africa, and even quantum physics today. Even today seventy-five per cent of the Western world holds some belief in magic, whether snapping wishbones, buying lottery tickets or giving names to inanimate objects.

Drawing on his decades of research, with incredible breadth and authority, Professor Chris Gosden provides a timely history of human thought and the role it has played in shaping civilization, and how we might use magic to rethink our understanding of the world.