I would like to thank the following people above all: my partner Katie Dawson, my sister Helen Canton and my mother Margaret Canton, my children Eva, Molly and Joe Canton, my uncle John Canton, Anthony Dee, Paul Gwynne, Peter Hulme, Juliet Lockhart, Sara Maitland, Ellie Mead, Jane Winch and my agent Jessica Woollard. Each has been an essential part in bringing Ancient Wonderings to life and I want to state here how extremely grateful I am to them for their various forms of support, guidance, advice and expertise.
As I set off on each individual wondering there were so many people that generously gave their guidance and help. Then there were others who offered wise words and thoughts from closer to home or helped me to secure the time and space needed to write the book. I wish to thank them all: Nick Ashton, Abdul Kareem Atteh, Ronald Blythe, Mary Cahill of the National Museum of Ireland, Mark Cocker, Bryony Coles, Ashley Cooper, Rosaline Cracknell, Jane and Desmond Crone, Phillip Crummy of Colchester Archaeological Trust, Howard Davis, Lola, Maureen and Peter Dawson, Tim Dennis, Professor David Dumville, John Fanshawe, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Susan Forsythe, Sally Foster, Godfrey and Lesley Goddard, Chris and Judy Gosling, Martin Gosling, Ros Green, Claire Halley, Doc Holliday, Jim Lock, Will Lord and his able assistant Simon, Kate MacDonald of Uist Archaeology, Rob Macfarlane, Adrian May, Chris McCully, Joe Newton, Mel Nice, Peter Nichols, Susan Oliver, Mike Parker Pearson, Emilia Pásztor, Colin Peel, Harry Perkins, Craig Perry, Aldous Rees, the staff of the Rare Books and Music Reading Room at the British Library, Jordan Savage, Molly Shrimpton, Chris Standish, Phil Terry, Beth Thomas, Owen Thompson and Jessica Trethowan of English Heritage, Louise Tunnard, Owain Hughes, and Anthony Hawley of Salisbury Museum, Anna Tyacke, Sara Chambers and Michael Harris of the Royal Museum of Cornwall, Ian Warrell, and Neil Wilkin of the British Museum.
To those at William Collins who have worked so hard on the book I also offer my thanks and especially so to Myles Archibald, Tom Cabot, Julia Koppitz, Katherine Patrick and Justine Taylor.
There are certainly others whose names I did not gather but met along the way whether in cities, towns, wildernesses, fields or byways. To all those anonymous souls who have also played a part in helping me on this long journey I send my thanks too.