Getting about

We can chart the history of human development with the history of how people have developed means of travelling, be it short or long distances.

From simple devices for moving our goods to sophisticated pieces of machinery and public transport, people continually try to find new ways of getting about.

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Section of Sweet Track (Somerset, 3807–06 BC)
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    Section of Sweet Track (Somerset, 3807–06 BC) 

    This is the oldest prehistoric trackway found in Britain. It led over the marshy lands of the Somerset levels, almost 6,000 years ago. A two-kilometre stretch of track could be laid in a single day out of pre-made elements constructed from a variety of timber parts.

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    Model boat (Egypt, 1985–1795 BC) 

    Boats were the most common type of funerary models placed in tombs during the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (about 2040–1750 BC). They provided the dead person with the magical means of travelling along the waterways of the Underworld. Transport on water was important for the Egyptians in real life too – their livelihoods often relied on the River Nile.

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    Model of a merchant ship (Cyprus, 600–500 BC) 

    Shipping and sea travel have always been important for the island of Cyprus. This terracotta model of a trading ship was found in a grave at Amathus.

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    Horse from the Silk Road (China, mid-AD 700s) 

    This painted clay and wooden figure of a horse was found in a Chinese tomb at Astana, on the Northern Silk Road. The communications network in the region relied heavily on horses, as did the trade route from China to Europe, via the Middle East.

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    Horse-drawn mail, print by George Hunt, after James Pollard (London AD 1825–36) 

    Before the development of the steam locomotive in the early 1800s, the only way to travel on land faster than human pace was by horse. Here, the Cambridge Telegraph coach is about to depart outside the White Horse Tavern at night. Passengers are riding on top of and inside the carriage.

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    Dog sled postcard (Canada, AD 1920s) 

    This Canadian postcard shows a man dressed in fur with a team of dogs pulling a sled in a forest.

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    Night on the El Train, etching by Edward Hopper (USA, AD 1918) 

    The billowing blinds and swaying straps tell us that this train is moving – we are peering in on an intimate moment on a late night journey.

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    The Tube train, print by Cyril Power (London 1934) 

    This view of the interior of a London underground train will seem familiar to anyone who has ever taken the ‘tube’ during rush hour.

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    Wooden car (Ghana, AD 2000s) 

    At first sight you might think this is a real Mercedes– but it’s actually a coffin for a funeral. The windows are made of glass and the number plate reads RIP 2000. Ga coffins are made to celebrate the life and aspirations of the deceased – perhaps this was made for a chauffeur, or maybe someone who dreamed of owning a car like this?