Europe Before Rome : A Site-by-Site Tour of the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages

Werner Herzog's 2011 film Cave of Forgotten Dreams , about the painted caves at Chauvet, France brought a glimpse of Europe's extraordinary prehistory to a popular audience. But paleolithic cave paintings, stunning as they are, form just a part of a story that begins with the arrival of the first humans to Europe 1.3 million years ago, and culminates in the achievements of Greece and Rome. In Europe before Rome , T. Douglas Price takes readers on a guided tour through dozens of the most important prehistoric sites on the continent, from very recent discoveries to some of the most famous and puzzling places in the world, like Chauvet, Stonehenge, and Knossos. This volume focuses on more than 60 sites, organized chronologically according to their archaeological time period and accompanied by 200 illustrations, including numerous color photographs, maps, and drawings. Our understanding of prehistoric European archaeology has been almost completely rewritten in the last 25 years with a series of major findings from virtually every time period, such as Ötzi the Iceman, the discoveries at Atapuerca, and evidence of a much earlier eruption at Mt. Vesuvius. Many of the sites explored in the book offer the earliest European evidence we have of the typical features of human society--tool making, hunting, cooking, burial practices, agriculture, and warfare. Introductory prologues to each chapter provide context for the wider changes in human behavior and society in the time period, while the author's concluding remarks offer expert reflections on the enduring significance of these places. Tracing the evolution of human society in Europe across more than a million years, Europe before Rome gives readers a vivid portrait of life for prehistoric man and woman. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Contents 6 Biographical Note 10 Preface 12 CHAPTER ONE: Frameworks for Europe’s Past 18 Geography and Environment 19 Geology 21 Past Climate 23 Raw Materials 24 Time and Chronology 26 A Very Short History of European Archaeology 28 CHAPTER TWO: The First Europeans 32 Early Europeans 32 Atapuerca, Spain, 1.3 Million Years Ago 36 Boxgrove, England, 500,000 Years Ago 42 Schöningen, Germany, 400,000 Years Ago 45 Neanderthals 49 Krapina, Serbia, 130,000 Years Ago 51 Salzgitter-Lebenstedt, Germany, 55,000 Years Ago 54 El Sidrón, Spain, 43,000 Years Ago 57 Grotte du Renne, France, 40,000 Years Ago 59 Vindija Cave, Croatia, 34,000 Years Ago 62 Ancient DNA 63 Neanderthal Diet 64 Some Reflections 66 CHAPTER THREE: The Creative Explosion 73 Origin and Spread of Modern Humans 73 The Upper Paleolithic 75 Pestera cu Oase, Romania, 40,000 Years Ago 77 Grotte Chauvet, France, 32,000 Years Ago 79 Grande Grotte, Arcy-sur-Cure, France, 32,000 Years Ago 84 Dolní Vestonice, Czech Republic, 27,500 Years Ago 86 Grotte de la Vache, France, 14,000 Years Ago 93 Gonnersdorf, Germany, 11,500 Years Ago 97 Pincevent, France, 12,000 Years Ago 104 Doggerland, North Sea, 11,000 BC 108 The Last Hunters 110 Franchthi Cave, Greece, 9000 BC 112 Mount Sandel, Ireland, 7000 BC 115 Moita do Sebastiao, Portugal, 6000 BC 118 Polderweg, Netherlands, 5500 BC 121 Tybrind Vig, Denmark, 5000 BC 126 Vedb(omitted)k, Denmark, 5000 BC 131 Rock Art: Vingen, Norway, 5000 BC 133 Some Reflections 135 CHAPTER FOUR: The First Farmers 140 The Origins and Spread of Agriculture 141 Neolithic Cyprus 144 Shillourokambos, Cyprus, 8200 BC 146 Asprokremnos, Cyprus, 8800 BC 147 Nea Nikomedeia, Greece, 6200 BC 149 Lepenski Vir, Serbia, 6200 BC 155 Vinca, Serbia, 5500 BC 160 Rudna Glava, Serbia, 5000 BC 165 Varna, Bulgaria, 4500 BC 166 Passo di Corvo, Italy, 6000 BC 169 Linearbandkeramik 172 Vaihingen, Germany, 5300 BC 176 Polished Flint Axes 180 Spiennes, Belgium, 4400 BC 182 La Draga, Spain, 5000 BC 185 Arbon-Bleiche 3, Switzerland, 3384 BC 188 Ötzi, Italy, 3300 BC 195 The Megaliths of Western Europe 199 Skara Brae, Orkney Islands, 3200 BC 202 Stonehenge, England, 3100 BC 208 Newgrange, Ireland, 3100 BC 219 Los Millares, Spain, 3200 BC 222 Hal Saflieni, Malta, 3600 BC 226 Rock Art: Barranco de la Valtort, Spain, 5500 BC 229 Some Reflections 232 CHAPTER FIVE: Bronze Age Warriors 236 The Rise of Metals 236 The Bronze Age in the Aegean 238 Knossos, Crete, Greece, 3000 BC 241 Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece, 1626 BC 246 Mykene, Greece, 1600 BC 250 Uluburun, Turkey, 1300 BC 259 The Bronze Age North of the Alps 261 Bell Beaker 265 The Indo-Europeans 267 Amesbury Archer, England, 2470 BC 268 Poggiomarino, Italy, 1600 BC 268 Croce del Papa, Italy, 2150 BC 270 Nebra, Germany, 1600 BC 273 Bronze Age Finds 276 Su Nuraxi di Barumini, Sardinia, Italy, 1800 BC 280 Borum EshØj, Denmark, 1350 BC 285 Bredarör, Sweden, 1000 BC 292 Salcombe, England, 1000 BC 293 Flag Fen, England, 1350 BC 295 Rock Art: Tanum, Sweden, 1500 BC 299 Some Reflections 301 CHAPTER SIX: Centers of Power, Weapons of Iron 304 At the Edge of History 304 The Celts 308 The Germans 309 The Scythians 311 Making Iron 312 Biskupin, Poland, 738 BC 314 The Etruscans 317 Necropoli della Banditaccia, Italy, 650 BC 319 Hallstatt, Austria, 800 BC 322 Hochdorf, Germany, 530 BC 324 Vix, France, 480 BC 328 Danebury, England, 550 BC 332 Grauballe, Denmark, 300 BC 336 Manching, Germany, 300 BC 340 Maiden Castle, England, 43 BC 342 Gournay-sur-Aronde, Ribemont-sur-Ancre, France, 260 BC 346 Celtic Religion 349 Some Reflections 350 EPILOGUE: Past and Present—Lessons from Prehistoric Europe 355 Europe before Rome 355 Significance 359 Relevance 360 Preservation 361 Appreciation 362 Further Reading 364 Picture Credits 404 Index 412 A 412 B 413 C 414 D 415 E 416 F 416 G 416 H 417 I 418 J 419 K 419 L 419 M 419 N 421 O 422 P 422 R 422 S 423 T 424 U 424 V 425 W 425 Y 425 Z 425 Frameworks For Europe's Past. Geography And Environment ; Geology ; Past Climate ; Raw Materials ; Time And Chronology ; A Very Short History Of European Archaeology -- The First Europeans. Early Europeans ; Atapuerca, Spain, 1.3 Million Years Ago ; Boxgrove, England, 500,000 Years Ago ; Schöningen, Germany, 400,000 Years Ago ; Neanderthals ; Krapina, Serbia, 130,000 Years Ago ; Salzgitter-lebenstedt, Germany, 55,000 Years Ago ; El Sidrón, Spain, 43,000 Years Ago ; Grotte Du Renne, France, 40,000 Years Ago ; Vindija Cave, Croatia, 34,000 Years Ago ; Ancient Dna ; Neanderthal Diet ; Some Reflections --^ The Creative Explosion. Origin And Spread Of Modern Humans ; The Upper Paleolithic ; Pstera Cu Oase, Romania, 40,000 Years Ago ; Grotte Chauvet, France, 32,000 Years Ago ; Grande Grotte, Arcy-sur-cure, France, 32,000 Years Ago ; Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic 27,500 Years Ago ; Grotte De La Vache, France, 14,000 Years Ago ; Gönnersdorf, Germany, 11,500 Years Ago ; Pincevent, France, 12,000 Years Ago ; Doggerland, North Sea, 11,000 Bc ; The Last Hunters ; Franchthi Cave, Greece, 9000 Bc ; Mount Sandel, Ireland, 7000 Bc ; Moita Do Sebastião, Portugal, 6000 Bc ; Polderweg, Netherlands 5500 Bc ; Tybrind Vig, Denmark, 5000 Bc ; Vedbæk, Denmark, 5000 Bc ; Rock Art : Vingen, Norway, 5000 Bc ; Some Reflections --^ The First Farmers. The Origins And Spread Of Agriculture ; Neolithic Cyprus ; Shillourokambos, Cyprus, 8200 Bc ; Asprokremnos, Cyprus, 8800 Bc ; Nea Nikomedeia, Greece, 6200 Bc ; Lepenski Vir, Serbia, 6200 Bc ; Vinča, Serbia, 5500 Bc ; Rudna Glava, Serbia, 5000 Bc ; Varna, Bulgaria, 4500 Bc ; Passo Di Corvo, Italy, 6000 Bc ; Linearbandkeramik ; Vaihingen, Germany, 5300 Bc ; Polished Flint Axes ; Spiennes, Belgium, 4400 Bc ; La Draga, Spain, 5000 Bc ; Arbon-bleiche 3, Switzerland, 3384 Bc ; Ötzi, Italy, 3300 Bc ; The Megaliths Of Western Europe ; Skara Brae, Orkney Islands, 3200 Bc ; Stonehenge, England 3100 Bc ; Newgrange, Ireland, 3100 Bc ; Los Millares, Spain, 3200 Bc ; Hal Saflieni, Malta, 3600 Bc ; Rock Art : Barranco De La Valtort, Spain 5500 Bc ; Some Reflections --^ Bronze Age Warriors. The Rise Of Metals ; The Bronze Age In The Aegean ; Knossos, Crete, Greece, 3000 Bc ; Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece, 1626 Bc ; Mykene, Greece, 1600 Bc ; Uluburun, Turkey, 1300 Bc ; The Bronze Age North Of The Alps ; Bell Beaker ; The Indo-europeans ; Amesbury Archer, England 2470 Bc ; Poggiomarino, Italy, 1600 Bc ; Croce Del Papa, Italy, 2150 Bc ; Nebra, Germany, 1600 Bc ; Bronze Age Finds ; Su Nuraxi Di Barumini, Sardinia, Italy, 1800 Bc ; Borum Eshøj, Denmark, 1350 Bc ; Bredarör, Sweden, 1000 Bc ; Salcombe, England, 1000 Bc ; Flag Fen, England, 1350 Bc ; Rock Art : Tanum, Sweden, 1500 Bc ; Some Reflections --^ Centers Of Power, Weapons Of Iron. At The Edge Of History ; The Celts ; The Germans ; The Scythians ; Making Iron ; Biskupin, Poland, 738 Bc ; The Etruscans ; Necropoli Della Banditaccia, Italy, 650 Bc ; Hallstatt, Austria, 800 Bc ; Hochdorf, Germany, 530 Bc ; Vix, France, 4880 Bc ; Danebury, England 550 Bc ; Grauballe, Denmark, 300 Bc ; Manching, Germany, 300 Bc ; Maiden Castle, England, 43 Bc ; Gournay-sur-aronde, Ribemont-sur-ancre, France, 260 Bc ; Celtic Religion ; Some Reflections -- Past And Present : Lessons From Prehistoric Europe. Europe Before Rome ; Significance ; Relevance ; Preservation ; Appreciation T. Douglas Price. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 347-385) And Index. Werner Herzog's 2011 film Cave of Forgotten Dreams , about the painted caves at Chauvet, France brought a glimpse of Europe's extraordinary prehistory to a popular audience. But paleolithic cave paintings, stunning as they are, form just a part of a story that begins with the arrival of the first humans to Europe 1.3 million years ago, and culminates in the achievements of Greece and Rome. In Europe before Rome , T. Douglas Price takes readers on a guided tour through dozens of the most important prehistoric sites on the continent, from very recent discoveries to some of the most famous and puzzling places in the world, like Chauvet, Stonehenge, and Knossos. This volume focuses on more than 60 sites, organized chronologically according to their archaeological time period and accompanied by 200 illustrations, including numerous color photographs, maps, and drawings. Our understanding of prehistoric European archaeology has been almost completely rewritten in the last 25 years with a series of major findings from virtually every time period, such as Otzi the Iceman, the discoveries at Atapuerca, and evidence of a much earlier eruption at Mt. Vesuvius. Many of the sites explored in the book offer the earliest European evidence we have of the typical features of human society--tool making, hunting, cooking, burial practices, agriculture, and warfare. Introductory prologues to each chapter provide context for the wider changes in human behavior and society in the time period, while the author's concluding remarks offer expert reflections on the enduring significance of these places. Tracing the evolution of human society in Europe across more than a million years, Europe before Rome gives readers a vivid portrait of life for prehistoric man and woman. This book provides a rich portrait of prehistoric Europe, from the arrival of the first humans 1.3 million years ago to the Iron Age settlements that resisted Rome's southern advance. The author takes readers on a tour of more than sixty prominent sites in Europe's prehistoric past Europe before Rome uses the extraordinary archaeology of prehistoric Europe to explore questions about the origins and evolution of human society