In the Wake of the Jomon was a finalist in the 2005 Banff Book Competition!
Acclaim for In the Wake of the Jomon
Jon Turk is one of today’s boldest, most inquisitive, and most articulate adventurers. His journey by small boat across the North Pacific in the wake of ancient Jomon hunters will make you rethink how humans first populated the Americas and give an understanding of what compelled them - and him - to strike off on so audacious a quest."
Peter Stark: Author of "The Last Breath"
Correspondent: OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
From Brian Fagan, Professor
emeritus at UCSB, and author of numerous popular anthropology books:
“Bureaucrats, faithful companions, grizzlies, ice, and unforgiving northern seas – In the Wake of the Jomon has them all. Turk’s sailing and paddling trip from Japan to Alaska is a modern-day Kon-Tiki expedition that paints a fascinating portrait of life along Siberian shores. Anyone interested in prehistoric voyages should read this tale of extremely tough adventure in icy waters.”
In the Wake of the Jomon
Stone Age Mariners and a Voyage Across the Pacific
Jon Turk
Published by International Marine/McGraw Hill
In 1996 a 9,500-year-old skeleton was found beside the Columbia River, galvanizing anthropologists with the possibility that prehistoric humans reached North America from Asia by crossing the ocean in small open boats. In this compelling narrative, world-class kayaker and science writer Jon Turk relates his successful attempt to re-create this perilous migration. This story wraps an intriguing anthropological argument inside a gripping narrative about the sea, an ancient people, and the wilderness of northeast Siberia.
Recounting his two-year, 3,000-mile kayak voyage from Japan's bamboo forests to the tundra of Siberia and Alaska, Turk introduces strong archeological and anthropological evidence that his expedition was not the first. He explains how the ancient Jomon people could have completed this journey 10,000 to 15,000 years ago and provides insight into the question of why they did it. Both fascinating adventure and riveting prehistory, In the Wake of the Jomon is destined to become a classic.
From William Fitzhugh:
Director of Arctic Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution:
I had a nice time reading your book on my flights to and from Alaska early this week. Nice use of the anthropological literature. Many professionals will not agree with your Kennewick premise or the Jomon connections, but so what? Others will think it's an interesting exploration of a very little known part of the world. I thought your information and reports on people and situations was very interesting. I have had many of these same kinds of experiences in my work in Russia, and in kayaking and boating in Labrador and Baffin. I like your surf landing technique and would love to see a video of it!
The book is an amalgamation of an adventure with an anthropological argument. To see a close-up of these two interwoven themes, click the two topics below:
