In May 2011, a team of archaeologists from the Department of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology of the University of Vienna, assisted by colleagues from the Czech Republic and Norway, carried out a research excavation at the Law Ting Holm in Tingwall on Shetland's Mainland. The site is believed to be the place of the main assembly of Shetland, which was in use most likely from the Norse period to the second half of the 16th century.

At the heart of this book is a comparative study of the stone rows of Dartmoor and northern Scotland, a rare, putatively Bronze Age megalithic typology that has mystified archaeologists for over a century. It is argued that these are 'symbols' of Neolithic long mounds, a circumstance that accounts for the interregional similarities; other aspects of their semantic structures are also analysed using rigorous semiotic theory. The research presented here takes an evolutionary approach, drawing on biological theory to explain the active role of these monuments in social evolution and to investigate the processes at work in the development of prehistoric landscapes. New theory is developed for analysing such archaeological sequences, and for understanding and explaining material culture more generally. The local sequences are contextualised by examining European megalithic origins, tracing the long mound concept back to the LBK longhouses. It is argued that all of these related forms - longhouses, long mounds, and stone rows - are implicated in a process of competitively asserting ancestral affinities, which explains the constraint on cultural variation, and thus the formation of remarkably stable monument traditions, that led to the convergence between Dartmoor and northern Scotland in the Early Bronze Age.

This book is an analysis of a collection of artefacts from the Neolithic period of the southern Levant. Although they have traditionally been identified as human images, the relationship of some of them to naturalistic human anatomy is tenuous, and, drawing on comparative examples from other periods and locations, Estelle Orrelle interprets them as images of Gods. Situating the artefacts in the context of the Neolithic transition, she shows how a Darwinian symbolic origins theory can explain the emergence of this iconography; that it lies in ancient sexual selection strategies, as power relations changed from an original social contract underpinned by female ritual power, to a new social contract driven by competing male elites."

Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Central China was the scene of important cultural developments which impacted on agricultural practices and local vegetation. Using phytolith data from archaeological sites in Henan, this study investigates changing crop choices, from broomcorn millet to foxtail millet to rice. Crop processing stages were interpreted by examination of differing proportions of phytoliths from crop husks, weed husks and crop and weed leaves to illustrate cultivation systems, harvesting and processing methods. The results suggest more successful agricultural practices and possible changes in social organisation in the Late Neolithic. Phytolith data was also used to understand impacts of these changes on local vegetation.

This book is a study of the settlement patterns of the Middle to Later stages of the Paleolithic period in the natural landscapes of the Iranian Plateau. By analyzing different environmental settings, stone artifacts, faunal remains and finally the game behavioral movements, this book evaluates the previous models and theories of site location, game management and Middle and Upper Paleolithic groups land use that were employed for Iran. As a major result, it demonstrates that, the ecological approach of structural landscape analysis is a strong methodology for understanding the mechanisms behind settlement patterns, land use and mobility strategies of early humans."

The growing interest in the cultural dimensions and environmental aspects of the transition to the Neolithic in the 6th millennium BC calls for a brief overview of what we know about the Early Neolithic in the Danube-Tisza interfluve. The idea of a volume drawing together the various strands of evidence on the Early Neolithic in this region resulted in the multi-facetted analysis presented in this volume. One major advance emanating from the study was the elimination of the archaeological blank spot between the Alfold and Transdanubia - earlier, the very existence of this blank spot made any discussion of possible contact between the two thoroughly researched regions virtually impossible and hampered comparisons of any kind."

This study is an attempt to sum up the research carried out so far and our current knowledge on Jastorf culture populations in northwest Poland with a special focus on the distinctive traits of the Jastorf settlement in two regions: Pomerania and Wielkopolska. It aims to depict a particular qualitative breakthrough that was witnessed in Polish research into this cultural formation in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The findings presented, and above all the pool of sources, are aimed at providing a basis for discussing the cultural situation in northwest Poland in the early younger Pre Roman period. The sources amount to a signpost towards the moment when the cultural picture of the central European Barbaricum was taking its dramatic shape over the last few centuries BC."

Researches in Stone Age prehistory from Bihar (NE India) have been reported from as early as the end of the nineteenth century. Despite these reports a sharp picture of the cultural transformation in this area has not emerged clearly. This study attempts to shed light on the various aspects of the cultural transformation processes from all the districts of Bihar.

Philip P. Betancourt revolutionized the study of Minoan pottery, just one of the many aspects of his career that led to his Gold Medal for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement. This volume presents some of the most recent studies in Minoan pottery using the techniques and methodologies pioneered by Betancourt. An essential collection for any scholar of Minoan pottery or of Aegean Prehistory in general.

This study examines female representation in British Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (2500 - 1500 BC) funerary practices. Chronology relating to the burial practices is studied, from large scale change over time through to small scale individual chronologies; looking at age representation. In contrast to previous approaches, this study moves beyond purely looking at the grave goods and instead places greater emphasis upon other features of the burials, such as location, form and method. As a result, the methodology used in this study examines the varied forms of this period's burials, yet still considers them as a unit.

This volume presents the lithic assemblage from Howburn in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, which at present is the oldest prehistoric settlement in Scotland (12,700-12,000 BC), and the only Hamburgian settlement in Britain. The site also included a scatter from the Late Upper Palaeolithic Federmesser- Gruppen period (12,000-10,800 BC), as well as lithics from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. The book focuses on the Hamburgian finds, which are mainly based on the exploitation of flint from Doggerland, the then dry bed of the North Sea. The Hamburgian tools include tanged arrowheads, scrapers, piercers, burins, and other implement forms which show similarities with tools of the same age on the European continent. The shape of one scatter suggests that the Palaeolithic settlers lived in tent-like structures. The Palaeolithic finds from Howburn shed light on several important general trends, such as the ‘acclimatization’ of pioneer settlers, as well as the development of regional differences following the initial Late Glacial recolonization of Scotland. Palaeo-environmental work focused on whether there was a small lake (‘Loch Howburn’) in front of the terrace on which the camp was situated, and it was concluded that there was indeed a lake there, but it was neither contemporary with the Hamburgian, nor the Federmesser-Gruppen settlement. Most likely, ‘Loch Howburn’ dates to the Loch Lomond stadial.

The extensive archaeological excavations of multicultural sites in western Slovakia offer a remarkable amount of material that mostly consists of entirely new and unpublished finds. This monograph presents a multilateral synthesis of the information obtained and processed over the last two decades, presenting a fascinating picture of evolution of the western inner Carpathian world and its neighbourhood in prehistoric times and beyond.

This book is concerned with the developments that followed on from the introduction of farming into Britain and Southern Scandinavia (Denmark and Southern Sweden), and the idiosyncratic social and cultural patterns that emerged as the revolutionary potential of the Neolithic was gradually realised. Fundamental to the contributors approach is a concern with the ways in which communities inhabit their landscapes. If the Neolithic involved the introduction of new species of plants and animals and new forms of material culture into indigenous contexts, the longer-term consequences of this development should be gauged through changing practices of dwelling: patterns of occupation and mobility, the organisation of space, the location of ritual activities, the dead, and the sacred; and degrees of impact in ecological conditions. The authors examine the implicit knowledge, habitual practice and material culture as forms of cultural inheritance which are passed between generations, and modified by innovation. Click on the blue button above for a contents PDF.

This study examines developments in British archaeology over the last 30 years or so (between 1975-2010), focusing in particular on transformations in prehistoric research. Ultimately it seeks to foreground the extent to which recent historical developments (at all levels of the discipline and in various working contexts) are implicated in contemporary research practices. Advocating the need for taking a multi-stranded and interdisciplinary approach, the author consulted a range of sources - digital archives, documentary and oral material - and draws on ideas from archaeology, sociology, anthropology and oral history. Through a detailed analysis of a leading disciplinary newsletter, key concerns are highlighted which have shaped archaeological practice over this period, and how particular roles and relationships have been defined and developed.

The late Palaeolithic Ahrensburgian site at Zonhoven-Molenheide was situated in a sandy podzol. It comprised several concentrations with more than 11,500 flint artefacts, of which more than 1,800 were refitted. Both horizontal and vertical distribution of the remains is discussed in detail. 76 figures illustrate profile sections, artefacts and refits. The occupation fits into the Younger Dryas (Late Glacial) period with an AMS date of 10,760 BP. Regionally, the Ahrensburgian is defined typologically as an assemblage with numerous Zonhoven points, a variable number of Ahrensburgian points and numerous endscrapers and burins. Connections with other European sites are discussed.

Welcoming 800,000 visitors each year, Stonehenge is the most famous pre-historic monument in all of Europe. It has inspired modern replicas throughout the world, including one constructed entirely of discarded refrigerators. This curious structure is the subject of cult worship, is a source of pride for Britons, and offers an intellectual challenge for academics. It has captured the imagination and the attention of thousands of people for thousands of years. Over the centuries, "experts" have tried to discover the meaning behind Stonehenge. While each new theory contradicts earlier speculation, every new proposal attributes a purpose to the site. From bards of the twelfth century to Black Sabbath, from William Blake to archaeologists of the twenty-first century, Stonehenge has embodied a wealth of intention. Was it designed for winter solstice, for goddess worship, or as a funerary temple? While all have been suggested, even "proven," the mystery continues. Through the eyes of its most eloquent apologists, Rosemary Hill guides the reader on a tour of Stonehenge in all its cultural contexts, as a monument to many things-to Renaissance Humanism, Romantic despair, Victorian enterprise, and English Radicalism. In the end, the stones remain compelling because they remain mysterious-apparently simple yet incomprehensible-that is the wonder, the enchantment, of Stonehenge.

This book examines one of the thorniest problems of ancient American archaeology: the origins and domestication of maize. Using a variety of scientific techniques, Duccio Bonavia explores the development of maize, its adaptation to varying climates, and its fundamental role in ancient American cultures. An appendix (by Alexander Grobman) provides the first ever comprehensive compilation of maize genetic data, correlating this data with the archaeological evidence presented throughout the book. This book provides a unique interpretation of questions of dating and evolution, supported by extensive data, following the spread of maize from South to North America, and eventually to Europe and beyond.

Excavations at Late Neolithic Toumba Kremastis Koiladas, near the modern town of Kozani in north-western Greece, have yielded one of the largest faunal assemblages of this period from Greece (and probably also from Europe). This assemblage is important not only because of its large size, but also because of the character of the site and the apparently distinctive nature of bone deposition. Although near to a settlement mound or tell, the excavated area from which the assemblage is drawn appears to be of the 'flat/extended' type of site. As such, much of the bone assemblage is derived from clearly defined pits and ditches cut into the bedrock, offering much greater opportunities for contextual analysis than is usually possible on tell sites with complex vertical stratigraphy. Furthermore, the excavator's observation of complete animal skeletons in some pits suggested the possibility of structured deposition of a sort that, though well known from the Aegean Bronze Age, is as yet rare in the Neolithic of Greece. The assemblage studied here thus offers unusually high potential for investigation of patterns of bone deposition and animal consumption and also for exploration of the extent to which these processes may have obscured or distorted the evidence commonly used to infer patterns of animal management and land use. The questions addressed in this book are centred within four main contexts: Types of Neolithic settlements (tells vs. 'flat/extended' sites); The Neolithic household in Greece; Neolithic husbandry regimes in Greece; Scales and contexts of consumption during the Greek Neolithic.

The village of Stanton Drew in north Somerset is host to a remarkable group of ancient monuments which together comprise the third largest collection of standing stones in England. Its Great Circle, the largest of three stone circles, exceeds the dimensions of Stonehenge. Recent archaeology has revealed that a substantial woodhenge once occupied the site, underlining its importance as a major ritual centre of the Neolithic age. Gordon Strong, a regular lecturer on the subject, has spent many years exploring this fascinating site on multiple levels. In this well illustrated book he presents archaeological detail, local folklore and the views of various commentators from 18th century antiquarians to dowsers, discussing mythology, mediumship and earth energies. His insights are gleaned from his long love-affair with the site, and offer the visitor some clues for making their own inner connection to this unique monument which still retains its ancient magic.

Contents: Introduction (Alex Gibson); Earthen Enclosures in Britain & Ireland: An Introduction to the study of henges: time for a change? (Alex Gibson); Henging, mounding and blocking: the Forteviot henge group (Kenneth Brophy & Gordon Noble); Henges in Ireland: new discoveries and emerging issues (Muiris O'Sullivan, Stephen Davies & Geraldine Stout); Journeys and Juxtapositions. Marden Henge and the View from the Vale (Jim Leary & David Field); Conformity, Routeways and Religious Experience - the Henges of Central Yorkshire (Jan Harding); Ringlemere: A Pit/Post Horseshoe and Henge Monument in East Kent (Keith Parfitt & Stuart Needham); Living with Sacred Spaces: The Henge Monuments of Wessex (Joshua Pollard); Neolithic enclosures: European case studies: Mid Neolithic Enclosures in Southern Scandinavia (Lars Larsson); Mid- Late Neolithic Enclosures in the South of France (Fabien Convertini); Kreisgrabenanlagen - Middle Neolithic Ritual Enclosures in Austria 4800-4500 BC (Wolfgang Neubauer); Mind the gap: Neolithic and Chalcolithic enclosures of south Portugal (Antonio Carlos Valera); The Neolithic enclosures in transition. Tradition and change in the cosmology of early farmers in central Europe (Jan Turek); Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Richard Bradley).

The Chalcolithic, the phase in prehistory when the important technical development of adding tin to copper to produce bronze had not yet taken place, is not a term generally used by British prehistorians and whether there is even a definable phase is debated. Is there a British Chalcolithic? brings together many leading authorities in 20 papers that address this question. Papers are grouped under several headings. Definitions, Issues and Debate considers whether appropriate criteria apply that define a distinctive period (c. 2450 - 2150 cal BC) in cultural, social, and temporal terms with particular emphasis on the role and status of metal artefacts and Beaker pottery. Continental Perspectives addresses various aspects of comparative regions of Europe where a Chalcolithic has been defined. Around Britain and Ireland presents a series of large-scale regional case studies where authors argue for and against the adoption of the term. The final section Economy, Landscapes and Monuments , looks at aspects of economy, land-use and burial tradition and provides a detailed consideration of the Stonehenge and Avebury landscapes during the period in question. The volume contains much detailed information on sites and artefacts, and comprehensive radiocarbon datasets that will be invaluable to scholars and students studying this enigmatic but pivotal episode of British Prehistory.

Papers from the 2011 conference marking ten years of Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO, University of Southampton). Contents: Introduction (Clive Gamble); 1) Lower Palaeolithic of Central and Eastern Europe: Critical Re-evaluation of the Current State of Knowledge (Iza Romanowska); 2) The Earliest Middle Stone Age of Northern South Africa: The Cave of Hearths and Bushman Rock Shelter (David Underhill); 3) Quaternary Environments and Archaeology of Jersey: A New Multidisciplinary project looking at the early prehistoric occupation of the English Channel Region (Matt Pope et al.); 4) Interglacial Neanderthal Ecology: evidence of absence? (Rachel Bynoe); 5) Neanderthal land-use and related tool-kits at the MIS 5/4 boundary in the South-East portion of the French Massif Central (Jean-Paul Raynal et al.); 6) Creating Country: Late Middle Palaeolithic Landscape Enculturation (Rebecca Wragg Sykes); 7) Changing Scales of Obsidian Movement and Social Networking (Theodora Moutsiou); 8) Analyzing the Child Burials of Upper Palaeolithic Europe (Jessica Cooney); 9) Ancient Magdalenian of the French Massif Central revisited: a reappraisal of unit F2 of the Rond du Barry cave (Polignac, Haute-Loire, France) (Audrey Lafarge et al.); 10) The social contexts of Palaeolithic Figural Art: Performativity, Materialisation and Fragmentation (Liliane Janik); 11) Differentiating French Magdalenian portable art assemblages: new analyses of low-relief technologies on antler (Rebecca Farbstein); 12) Scatters, Patches, and Palimpsests: Solving the Contemporaneity Problem (Matt Grove); 13) People, places and things: understanding Lateglacial personhood through mobility and exchange (Fotini Kofido); 14) CAHO 10 Closing words (John McNabb and William Davies).

White Castle: The evaluation of an upstanding prehistoric enclosure in East Lothian describes the results of a four year research programme of archaeological works between 2010 and 2013, at the later prehistoric enclosure of White Castle, East Lothian, carried out under the auspices of the Rampart Scotland project. The site is a Scheduled Monument, but, despite being subject of mapping and survey for some 200 years, it has never been examined by excavation prior to the Rampart Scotland project’s interventions. White Castle was the first of the series of comparable sites to be excavated in the Lammermuir area. The programme of archaeological evaluation and sequence of radiometric dates furnished evidence for four major phases of activity at White Castle – with the main enclosure period dating to the second half of the first millennium BC. The excavations demonstrated a clear sequence of enclosure development over time, whereby the design and visual impact often appeared to be more important than defence alone. White Castle’s location on the main route through the Lammermuirs with surrounding upland pasture is also highly suggestive to its function and it seems probable that the site’s economy was concerned primarily with controlling access to grazing. The final phase of the prehistoric enclosure appears to combine two key factors: impressing visitors and stock control. While maintenance of White Castle’s enclosure system was abandoned in the closing centuries BC, it is unlikely that the area was deserted and there is also limited evidence for two later phases of activity on site around the Medieval and Early Modern Periods.

A Gazetteer representing practical field observations of most of the prehistoric Standing Stones in Great Britain and some 'Other Stones' which post-date AD 1. The list also includes 34 prehistoric Standing Stones known to be extant but which the author was unable to visit, a list of Standing Stones of unknown provenance, and of interesting 'Other Stones'. The motivation for this work was the Wimblestone (Somerset, ST434585) which is an extant prehistoric Standing Stone close to the author' childhood home and which started his interest in these monuments

In this study of prehistoric innovation, the author argues that a range of technologies and practices need to be considered in order to place innovation into the pre-existing social and technological systems in which it functioned and to assess the means by which it was accepted and valued. In particular the study focuses on how archaeological interpretations of stone objects and stone-working can help understand the adoption and continued presence of metal and metallurgy in prehistoric Europe.