I read this in some anthology in UK in the early 1980's. It could have been a long-ish short story.

Plot I can remember:- An explorer is in a jeep (Dead Sea area possibly but I'm not sure) and suddenly finds he's at a much higher altitude. A new landmass has arisen.

All around Earth various Gypsy clans (they were described in the story as Gypsies, not Travellers or Travelling People) begin heading to this new land and telling each other "it's came back".

Somehow they have had a race memory that's prevented them settling for generations, a scientist works out an alien 'sampler' had been studying their original land but has now finished.....maybe some other place will be selected for study.

The story jumps forward a few centuries and takes a look at the current Travellers, they are American city-folk descendants who maintain loads of old automobiles and drive around saying "one day their city will return" or similar wording.

I read this in some anthology in UK in the early 1980's. It could have been a longish short story.

Plot I can remember:- An explorer is in a jeep (Dead Sea area possibly but I'm not sure) and suddenly finds he's at a much higher altitude. A new landmass has arisen.

All around Earth various Gypsy clans (they were described in the story as Gypsies, not Travellers or Travelling People) begin heading to this new land and telling each other "it's came back".

Somehow they have had a race memory that's prevented them settling for generations, a scientist works out an alien 'sampler' had been studying their original land but has now finished.....maybe some other place will be selected for study.

The story jumps forward a few centuries and takes a look at the current Travellers, they are American city-folk descendants who maintain loads of old automobiles and drive around saying "one day their city will return" or similar wording.