Academic interpretations of Neolithic rock motifs and their location within the landscape and on ancient monuments are often thought-provoking, but they invariably shy away from acknowledging the remarkable coherence exhibited by petroglyphs throughout the British Isles. In Mindscapes of Prehistory, Brian A. Smith and Alan A. Walker have taken the arguments they first developed in Rock Art and Ritual: Interpreting the Prehistoric Landscapes of the North York Moors considerably further. The...

Who were the first Britons, and what sort of world did they occupy?In A History of Ancient Britain, much-loved historian Neil Oliver turns a spotlight on the very beginnings of the story of Britain; on the first people to occupy these islands and their battle for survival.There has been human habitation in Britain, regularly interrupted by Ice Ages, for the best part of a million years. The last retreat of the glaciers 12,000 years ago brought a ne...

An authoritative and radical rethinking of the history of Ancient Britain and Ancient Ireland, based on remarkable new archaeological finds.British history is traditionally regarded as having started with the Roman Conquest. But this is to ignore half a million years of prehistory that still exert a profound influence. Here Francis Pryor examines the great ceremonial landscapes of Ancient Britain and Ireland – Stonehenge, Seahenge, Avebury and the Bend of the Boyne – as well as the...

A lively and authoritative investigation into the lives of our ancestors, based on the revolution in the field of Bronze Age archaeology which has been taking place in Norfolk and the Fenlands over the last twenty years, and in which the author has played a central role.One of the most haunting and enigmatic archaeological discoveries of recent times was the uncovering in 1998 at low tide of the so-called Seahenge off the north coast of Norfolk. This circle of wooden planks set ver...

How much do we really know about the place we call 'home'? In this sweeping, timely book, Nicholas Crane tells the story of Britain.*****Over the course of 12,000 years of continuous human occupation, the British landscape has been transformed form a European peninsula of glacier and tundra to an island of glittering cities and exquisite countryside.In this geographical journey through time, we discover the ancient relationship bet...

This edition does not include illustrations.‘Dry Store Room No. 1’ is an intimate biography of the Natural History Museum, celebrating the eccentric personalities who have peopled it and capturing the wonders of scientific endeavour, academic rigour and imagination.Behind the public façade of any great museum there lies a secret domain: one of unseen galleries, locked doors, priceless specimens and hidden lives.Through the stories of the numerous eccentric individuals whose...

This entertaining Very Short Introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology - a subject which appeals as a pastime, career, and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past.In this new edition, Paul Bahn brin...

Our knowledge about Stonehenge has changed dramatically as a result of the Stonehenge Riverside Project (2003-2009), led by Mike Parker Pearson, and included not only Stonehenge itself but also the nearby great henge enclosure of Durrington Walls. This book is about the people who built Stonehenge and its relationship to the surrounding landscape. The book explores the theory that the people of Durrington Walls built both Stonehenge and Durrington Walls, and that the choice of stone for co...

Britain's pagan past, with its mysterious monuments, atmospheric sites, enigmatic artifacts, bloodthirsty legends, and cryptic inscriptions, is both enthralling and perplexing to a resident of the twenty-first century. In this ambitious and thoroughly up-to-date book, Ronald Hutton reveals the long development, rapid suppression, and enduring cultural significance of paganism, from the Paleolithic Era to the coming of Christianity. He draws on an array of recently discovered evidence and s...

Learn how to read the clues and signs of nature with this eye-opening and enthralling guide from Sunday Times-bestselling author Tristan Gooley, pioneer in the art of natural navigationTristan Gooley demonstrates how it is possible to connect profoundly with the lands we travel through, even from the comfort of your living room. In The Natural Explorer he combines the work of the some of the most insightful travellers of the past two thousand year...

This provocative and entertaining book destroys the current archeological interpretation of Stonehenge as a temple built by Neolithic farmers 5,000 years ago. It reassesses evidence from excavations and challenges long upheld views on how the site was designed, the reason for its location and the methods by which the stones were prepared and erected. The conclusion is stunning in its simplicity.

The Forest of Dean is one of the largest areas of mixed woodlands in the UK with broadleaves and conifers of several species, flora and fauna, streams and ponds all masquerading the industrial remains of the Forest’s heavy industry - iron mines, furnaces, scowles and disused mines. Today it's an area for leisure, bordered by the River Wye to the west and Severn to the east.This book gives an insight into the industrial history and heritage of the area through to the present day wit...