Magical pearl-shell pendants, greenstone axe-heads, belts made of human hair, outriggers for canoes, songs and dances, body paint, feathers, extra strong glue, cloaks made of 80 possum skins sewn with kangaroo sinew. These and hundreds of other items were traded around Australia before white settlement. Some were carried on foot over huge distances, through many lands and languages. When food was plentiful, several groups might gather for ceremonies and to swap goods at large markets. All this happened without money - until the Macassans and then the Europeans arrived.

In this groundbreaking book, the first of a series, award-winning author John Nicholson describes the fascinating networks of trade and ceremonial exchange in pre-European Australia.