Oysters are older than us, older than grass. They have been present at every turn of human history. They have inspired great writers, painters, cooks, sustained whole communities and fashioned legend and history. Their pearls have funded empires and caused the invention of modern-day slavery. The evidence oysters leave behind shows us there was a seafaring empire along Western Europe before the Romans, and that the world was colonised not west to east but south to north. We were not cavemen at all, but covemen, exploring the world along the coastlines, because oysters were a sign of a safe and healthy marine economy. Besides being an unusual species in themselves, oysters provide a fascinating insight into how the world has evolved. From pleasure, pearls, politics, piracy, piety and poverty, this book will reveal a whole array of incredible facts you never knew before.