The Prehistory of Britain and Ireland (Cambridge World Archaeology)

Sited at the furthest limits of the Neolithic revolution and standing at the confluence of the two great sea routes of prehistory, Britain and Ireland are distinct from continental Europe for much of the prehistoric sequence. In this landmark 2007 study - the first significant survey of the archaeology of Britain and Ireland for twenty years - Richard Bradley offers an interpretation of the unique archaeological record of these islands based on a wealth of current and largely unpublished data. Bradley surveys the entire archaeological sequence over a 4,000 year period, from the adoption of agriculture in the Neolithic period to the discovery of Britain and Ireland by travellers from the Mediterranean during the later pre-Roman Iron Age. Significantly, this is the first modern account to treat Britain and Ireland on equal terms, offering a detailed interpretation of the prehistory of both islands. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Illustrations......Page 13 Preface......Page 17 The View from Afar......Page 21 The Importance of British and Irish Prehistory......Page 24 The Sense of Isolation......Page 28 The Lie of the Land......Page 30 The Waterways......Page 36 The Mental Map......Page 42 Observing What Has Vanished......Page 45 Two Models......Page 47 Houses and Settlement Patterns......Page 58 Beyond the House: Long Mounds and Mortuary Monuments......Page 66 Beyond the House: Settlements, Bodies, and Tombs......Page 79 Beyond the House: Cursus Monuments and Bank Barrows......Page 82 Causewayed Enclosures......Page 89 The Future: Cursuses, Round Barrows, and Circular Enclosures......Page 98 The Past: Ancestors and Origins......Page 104 Time and Space......Page 108 Houses and the Character of Settlement, 3300--2000 BC......Page 114 Houses, Tombs, and Arenas: Ireland, Orkney, and Northern Britain......Page 118 Across the Sea......Page 136 The Later History of Henges......Page 142 Making Connections......Page 152 A World Elsewhere......Page 162 Distance and Enchantment......Page 173 Relations with the Dead......Page 178 Monuments and the Settlement Pattern 2000--1500 BC......Page 188 At the Limits......Page 196 Period Details......Page 198 Characterising a Later Bronze Age......Page 201 The Initial Transformation: The Middle Bronze Age (1500--1100 BC)......Page 207 Subsequent Developments: The Late Bronze Age (1100--800 BC)......Page 222 Summary: Production, Alliance and Exchange......Page 242 Foreground and Background......Page 246 From Possession to Dispossession......Page 250 Houses and Enclosures......Page 256 The Organisation of the Land......Page 260 Variations on an Original Theme......Page 272 An End of Isolation......Page 281 Summary......Page 290 The End of Prehistory......Page 291 Bibliography......Page 299 Index......Page 327 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Illustrations 13 Preface 17 Chapter 1: The Offshore Islands 21 The View from Afar 21 The Importance of British and Irish Prehistory 24 The Sense of Isolation 28 The Lie of the Land 30 The Waterways 36 The Mental Map 42 Observing What Has Vanished 45 Chapter 2: A New Beginning 47 Two Models 47 Houses and Settlement Patterns 58 Beyond the House: Long Mounds and Mortuary Monuments 66 Beyond the House: Settlements, Bodies, and Tombs 79 Beyond the House: Cursus Monuments and Bank Barrows 82 Causewayed Enclosures 89 The Future: Cursuses, Round Barrows, and Circular Enclosures 98 The Past: Ancestors and Origins 104 Chapter 3: North and South 108 Time and Space 108 Houses and the Character of Settlement, 3300--2000 BC 114 Houses, Tombs, and Arenas: Ireland, Orkney, and Northern Britain 118 Across the Sea 136 The Later History of Henges 142 Making Connections 152 A World Elsewhere 162 Distance and Enchantment 173 Relations with the Dead 178 Monuments and the Settlement Pattern 2000--1500 BC 188 At the Limits 196 Chapter 4: Ploughshares into Swords 198 Period Details 198 Characterising a Later Bronze Age 201 The Initial Transformation: The Middle Bronze Age (1500--1100 BC) 207 Subsequent Developments: The Late Bronze Age (1100--800 BC) 222 Summary: Production, Alliance and Exchange 242 Chapter 5: The End of Prehistory 246 Foreground and Background 246 From Possession to Dispossession 250 Houses and Enclosures 256 The Organisation of the Land 260 Variations on an Original Theme 272 An End of Isolation 281 Summary 290 The End of Prehistory 291 Bibliography 299 Index 327 Sited at the furthest limits of the Neolithic revolution and standing at the confluence of the two great sea routes of prehistory, Britain and Ireland are distinct from continental Europe for much of the prehistoric sequence. In this landmark study - the first significant survey of the archaeology of Britain and Ireland for twenty years - Richard Bradley offers a new interpretation of the unique archaeological record of these islands based on a wealth of current and largely unpublished data. Bradley surveys the entire archaeological sequence over a 4,000 year period, from the adoption of agriculture in the Neolithic period to the discovery of Britain and Ireland by travellers from the Mediterranean during the later pre-Roman Iron Age. Significantly, this is the first modern account to treat Britain and Ireland on equal terms, offering a detailed interpretation of the prehistory of both islands. In this study Richard Bradley offers a new interpretation of the unique archaeological record of these islands based on a wealth of current and largely unpublished data. He surveys the entire archaeological sequence over a 4000 year period, from the adoption of agriculture in the Neolithic period to the discovery of Britain & Ireland This 2007 book presents a new interpretation of the prehistory of Britain and Ireland and is the first in many years to consider both regions together. It covers Britain separating from the Continent and ends with the integration of the islands into a wider European network shortly before the Roman Conquest.

This book presents a new interpretation of the prehistory of Britain and Ireland.