Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe : Perception and Society During the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age

Monuments And Landscape In Atlantic Europe Goes Significantly Beyond The Limits Of The Existing Debate By Inviting Archeologists From Different Countries With The Atlantic Zone To Examine The Relationship Between Landscape Features And Prehistoric Monuments In Their Specialist Regions. By Placing The Issue Within A Broader Regional And Intellectual Context, The Authors Illustrate The Diversity Of Current Archeological Ideas And Approaches Converging Around This Central Theme. The Regions Represented Include Britain, France, Ireland, Spain And Sweden. The Result Constitutes A Remarkable Testament To The Convergence Of Conceptual Approaches To Prehistoric Monuments In The Diverse Landscapes And Diverse Intellectual Traditions Of Atlantic Europe.--jacket. Standing Stones And Natural Outcrops : The Role Of Ritual Monuments In The Neolithic Transition Of The Central Alentejo / Manuel Calado -- Castanheiro Do Vento And The Significance Of Monumental Copper And Bronze Age Sitse In Nothern Portugal / Vítor Oliveira Jorge, João Muralha Cardosa, António Sá Coixão And Leonor Sousa Pereira -- The Architecture Of The Natural World : Rock Art In Western Iberia / Lara Bacelar Alves -- The Perception Of Space And Geometry : Megalithic Monuments Of West-central France In Their Relationship To The Landscape / Luc Laporte, Roger Joussaume And Chris Scarre -- Coast And Cosmos : The Neolithic Monuments Of Northern Brittany / Chris Scarre. All Cultural Things : Actual And Conceptual Monuments In The Neolithic Of Western Britain / Vicki Cummings -- The Land, The Sky And The Scottish Stone Circle / Richard Bradley -- Knocknarea, The Ultimate Monument : Megaliths And Mountains In Neolithic Cúil Irra, North-west Ireland / Stefan Bergh -- Megaliths In A Mythologised Landscape : South-west Ireland In The Iron Age / Wiliam O'brien -- Visible Intentions? Viewshed Analysis Of Bronze Age Burial Mounds In Western Scania, Sweden / Karin Ericson Lagerås -- Conclusion : Long Conversations, Concerning Time, Descent And Place In The World / Alasdair Whittle. Edited By Chris Scarre. Chiefly Papers Presented At A Session Entitled Monumentality And Landscape In Atlantic Europe Which Was Held At The European Association Of Archaeologists Conference In Lisbon In September 2000. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Atlantic Europe is the zone par excellence of megalithic monuments, which encompass a wide range of earthen and stone constructions from inpressive stone circles to modest chambered tombs. A single basic concept lies behind this volume - that the intrinsic qualities encountered within the diverse landscapes pf Atlantic Europe both informed the settings chosen for the monuments and played a role in determining their form and visual appearance. Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe goes significantly beyond the limits of existing debate by inviting archaeologists from different countries with the Atlantic zone (including Britain, France, Ireland, Spain and Sweden) to examine the relationship between landscape features and prehistoric monuments in their specialist regions. By placing the issue within a broader regional and intellectual context, the authors illustrate the diversity of current archaeological ideas and approaches converging around this central theme. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 1 Introduction......Page 16 2 Standing stones and natural outcrops......Page 32 3 Castanheiro do Vento and the significance of monumental Copper and Bronze Age sites in northern Portugal......Page 51 4 The architecture of the natural world: rock art in western Iberia......Page 66 5 The perception of space and geometry......Page 88 6 Coast and cosmos: the Neolithic monuments of northern Brittany......Page 99 7 All cultural things......Page 122 8 The land, the sky and the Scottish stone circle......Page 137 9 Knocknarea......Page 154 10 Megaliths in a mythologised landscape......Page 167 11 Visible intentions?......Page 194 12 Conclusion: long conversations, concerning time, descent and place in the world......Page 207 Index......Page 220 Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 1 Introduction 16 2 Standing stones and natural outcrops 32 3 Castanheiro do Vento and the significance of monumental Copper and Bronze Age sites in northern Portugal 51 4 The architecture of the natural world: rock art in western Iberia 66 5 The perception of space and geometry 88 6 Coast and cosmos: the Neolithic monuments of northern Brittany 99 7 All cultural things 122 8 The land, the sky and the Scottish stone circle 137 9 Knocknarea 154 10 Megaliths in a mythologised landscape 167 11 Visible intentions? 194 12 Conclusion: long conversations, concerning time, descent and place in the world 207 Index 220 The Iberian peninsula at the south-western extremity of Europe is a large and diverse land mass connected to the remainder of the Continent by a relatively narrow neck of land that is itself obstructed by the Pyrenean mountain cham.