  Observations of absorption lines in the spectra of distant QSOs offer a new
approach for tracking the evolution of normal galaxies from early epochs to the
present day. The damped Ly alpha systems are particularly suitable for
measuring the properties of what are likely to be the progenitors of
present-day luminous galaxies. We have recently concluded a long-term survey of
30 damped absorbers (including eight from the literature) aimed at measuring
the metallicity and dust content of the universe from redshift z = 3.39 to
0.69. The major conclusions are that the epoch of chemical enrichment in
galaxies may have begun at z = 2.5-3--corresponding to a look-back time of 14
Gyr--and that at z = 2 the typical metallicity was 1/15 of solar. There is
clear evidence for the presence of interstellar dust at z = 2, although several
high-redshift galaxies, particularly the most metal-poor, appear to be
essentially dust-free. We discuss the nature of the damped Ly alpha galaxies in
the light of these and other new results.
