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.
Discover my books | Explore my writing
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.
