Stories Written in the Landscape
Matthew Bennett | Author, Scientist and Storyteller of Deep Time
Our planet is full of stories. Some are written in stone, others in ice, sand or mud. Some survive for millions of years; others disappear with the next tide.
I’m a scientist and writer fascinated by the traces people leave behind and the landscapes they inhabit. From ancient footprints in New Mexico to the glaciers that shaped Wales, my books explore the extraordinary relationship between people and a changing planet.
Why Professor Sandcastle?
Back in 2005, I was asked to find the perfect sand for building sandcastles. As a sedimentologist, I took the challenge rather more seriously than perhaps I should have, scientifically comparing sand from ten of Britain’s most popular beaches. Torquay’s wonderful red sand came out on top, closely followed by Bridlington, with Bournemouth, Great Yarmouth and Tenby sharing third place. Rhyl, I’m afraid, finished last.
What began as a little summer fun took on a life of its own, and for a while, to my considerable embarrassment, I became known as Professor Sandcastle. The name stuck, as did the sandcastles. Over the years I’ve built them on television, demonstrated their construction at public events, given talks and even used them for corporate team-building. It turns out that the humble sandcastle is a surprisingly good way to explain geology — and have some fun along the way.
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Those Who Walked Before
Fossil Footprints at White Sands
For thousands of years, the footprints of ancient people lay hidden beneath the sediments of White Sands, New Mexico. Their discovery has opened an extraordinary window onto the lives of the first Americans, revealing children at play, hunters moving through the landscape and encounters with the great animals of the Ice Age.
Drawing on years of fieldwork and scientific discovery, Those Who Walked Before tells the story of the people who left these remarkable traces — and the researchers working to understand them.
Published by the University of New Mexico Press, April 2026.
