From the Motor City to the Mediterranean: Travels of a Truck, a Sedan, and an Inquisitive Photographer, 1924-1926

From 1924 to 1926, archaeologists from the University of Michigan roamed the Middle East and North Africa in two vehicles donated by Dodge to assist in pioneering archaeological projects. Driven and maintained by expedition photographer George R. Swain, these vehicles—a truck and sedan—navigated uncharted deserts, perilous mountains, and road-less terrains, bringing their passengers into contact with both the ancient past and the people living around its historic remains. From the Motor City to the Mediterranean transports readers into the heart of one man's journey alongside these intrepid vehicles. Using Swain's fascinating photographs and letters—some published here for the first time—author Lauren E. Talalay skillfully reconstructs his archaeological adventures of the 1920s, taking us to places rarely seen by the outside world during a decade of major social change after the Great War.