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Loading... Prehistoric Britainby Timothy Darvill
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Britain has been inhabited by humans for over half a million years, during which time there were a great many changes in lifestyles and in the surrounding landscape. This book, now in its second edition, examines the development of human societies in Britain from earliest times to the Roman conquest of AD 43, as revealed by archaeological evidence. Special attention is given to six themes which are traced through prehistory: subsistence, technology, ritual, trade, society, and population. Prehistoric Britain begins by introducing the background to prehistoric studies No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)936.1History and Geography Ancient World Europe north and west of Italian Peninsula to ca. 499 British Isles to 410LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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However, Darvill rarely speculates beyond the facts and description; there are no easy-to-follow stories and neat conclusions, so it was heavy going for the interested lay person like myself. Having said that, it turned out to be well-worth persevering, as I gradually found myself getting enthralling glimpses into remote and unimagined worlds.
Rather sobering is the difference between what is known now and what I was taught so long ago at school. Apart from the whole subject being much more complex than I’d thought, clearly some of these long-ago cultures were more complex and ‘advanced’ than I’d thought, too.
The reader is left with as many questions as answers – that, of course, is exactly what the archaeology gives us – it’s frustrating to be given so much while, at the same time, more and more realising how little we know of these remote ancestors. It’s a fascinating book, though. I shall certainly read it through again – it’s a lot to grasp at one reading. I shall certainly be consulting it on a regular basis, too. ( )