Human remains can answer all sorts of questions about our ancestors--what sort of diet they ate, what age they lived to, what sort of living conditions they experienced, and how they died. The Neolithic is the earliest period from which significant numbers of human burials survive in Britain. This book looks at the history of the study of such burials and how new scientific techniques have massively expanded what we know about our Neolithic ancestors. As well as the treatment of the dead, issues such as health and subsistence are considered, along with evidence of conflict and also the extent to which the people of Neolithic Britain can be considered a distinct population. This is the only book specifically dedicated to human remains from the Neolithic and fills an important gap left by other books on the period.

'In Music, the Arts, and Ideas, ' Leonard B. Meyer uses music as a vantage point to discover patters in the perplexing, fragmented world of twentieth-century culture. The book is concerned with the aesthetics of music and with the relationships between music (and the other arts), ideology, and history--especially as these have shaped contemporary culture. The Postlude, written for this edition, looks back at the predictions made more than twenty-five years ago and speculates about what the coming decades may hold.

Over the last 30 years, there has been extensive new research on Neolithic Long Barrows. David Field describes the origin of the monuments and their construction, including the pits, standing stones, and posts found beneath the later mounds, their location within the country side and what this might mean for contemporary society. He also discusses the nature of platforms, pavements, internal cairns, and earthen round mounds. Evidence of feasting and ceremony is assessed. Emphasis is placed on the new finds that have been made from the air and on the use that was made of earthen barrows by later civilizations.

Ce livre est consacre a la recherche sur le developpement de la production et des echanges ceramiques entre le continent et les iles de Bretagne, du Neolithique a la periode gallo-romaine. L'analyse archeometrique de la ceramique est utilisee pour explorer le developpement des reseaux de communication: la circulation des personnes et des produits entre les iles et le continent. Ces iles produisaient-elles leur propre poterie ou etaient-elles dependantes de la production continentale? En determinant si la poterie a ete produite ou importee localement, il est possible d'identifier les degres variables de connexion ou d'isolement avec des reseaux plus larges. Plusieurs methodes d'analyse ont ete utilisees pour examiner 368 tessons de poterie provenant de 25 sites. Des observations macroscopiques ont ete effectuees afin de documenter les traitements de surface, ainsi que l'examen microscopique de coupes ceramiques minces pour l'identification de la composition mineralogique de l'argile et pour determiner ses origines geologiques et geographiques. Ces techniques ont ete completees par des analyses chimiques: SEM-EDS, XR-D et P-XRF. Enfin, une nouvelle approche methodologique a ete utilisee pour la provenance des argiles: l'analyse LA-ICP-MS. Cette methode est basee sur des comparaisons chimiques des inclusions minerales dans les pates ceramiques avec les memes types de mineraux dans les roches meres. Elle permet de determiner plus precisement les origines des argiles, surtout lorsque les pates n'offrent pas d'elements caracteristiques qui permettent de les distinguer des autres productions. La longue portee chronologique de cette etude nous permet de documenter l'evolution des caracteristiques ceramiques et les lieux changeants de l'approvisionnement en argile et de la production de poterie. Les resultats de cette recherche apportent de nouvelles preuves de l'occupation prehistorique des iles bretonnes. English Abstract Sea, ceramics and islands in western France: archaeometric approach to paleo-economic relations of island populations from the Neolithic to Antiquity This book is about research on the development of ceramic production and exchange between the mainland and islands of Brittany from the Neolithic to the Gallo-Roman period. Archaeometric analysis of ceramics is used to explore the development of communication networks: the movement of people and of products between the islands and the mainland. Did these islands produce their own pottery or were they dependent on mainland production? By determining whether pottery was locally produced or imported, it is possible to identify the changing degrees of connection with, or isolation from, wider networks. Several analytical methods have been employed to examine 368 sherds of pottery from 25 sites. Macroscopic observations were made in order to document surface treatments, as well as microscopic examination of ceramic thin sections for the identification of the mineralogical composition of the clay, and to determine its geological and geographic origins. These techniques have been complemented with chemical analyses: SEM-EDS, XR-D and P-XRF. Finally, a new methodological approach has been used to provenance the clays: LA-ICP-MS analysis. This method is based on chemical comparisons of the mineral inclusions in the ceramic pastes with the same mineral types in the parent rocks. It can determine more precisely the origins of clays, especially when the pastes do not offer characteristic elements that allow them to be distinguished from other productions. The long chronological scope of this study allows us to document the evolution of ceramic characteristics and the changing locations of clay supply and pottery production. The results of this research provide new evidence about the prehistoric occupation of the islands of Brittany.

Jacob Kaplan was a dynamic field archaeologist and an original researcher of the Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in the Levant. This volume contains a selection of Kaplan's unpublished fieldwork as well as a broad survey of the thoughts, theories, and considerations that have placed his work at the forefront of Israeli archaeology. Kaplan played an important role in shaping the archaeological sequence of the late prehistory of Israel, especially due to his discovery and description in the early 1950s of the Wadi Rabah culture—a major entity in the late Pottery Neolithic period. On a broader scale, Kaplan incorporated the Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in Israel into the sequences of the late prehistory of the Levant and touched on the question of the end of the Neolithic period—one of the most intensive, creative, and transformative eras in human history. His views on some of the basic chronological and cultural issues of these periods endure to this very day. This two-volume collection accords Kaplan the full recognition he deserves as an original, leading investigator of the late prehistory of Israel.

Heinrich Schliemann (1822 1890) was a businessman and self-taught archaeologist who is best known for discovering the site of the ancient city of Troy. This short book, published posthumously in 1891, begins with a vigorous polemic in which Schliemann defends himself and Wilhelm D rpfeld against allegations by Ernst Boetticher, who persistently claimed they had falsified the evidence from Hissarlik and that 'Troy' was in fact a cremation site with ovens, rather than a settlement. The book goes on to describe the pottery of different periods exposed by a river cutting through the site. Schliemann then describes a newly excavated area that had not been razed by the Romans prior to rebuilding and gives detailed accounts of pottery, artefacts and defensive works found there, and the texts of a number of inscriptions. A final section by D rpfeld, completed two days before Schliemann's untimely death, describes the buildings in more detail.

Heinrich Schliemann (1822 1890) was a businessman and self-taught archaeologist who is best known for discovering the legendary city of Troy. Inspired by his belief in the veracity of the Homeric poems, Schliemann turned his attention to uncovering other cities mentioned in the Iliad. This volume provides an account in German of his excavations in 1884 1885 at Tiryns, a major Bronze Age city and centre of Mycenaean civilisation. These revealed a palace complex at the site, which was the most complete example of its kind until Evans' excavation of Knossos: examples of Minoan art found at Tiryns were the first demonstration of Mycenaean contact with the Minoan culture of Crete. The topography and history of the site and its artefacts are described, together with detailed discussion of the palace, and a description of Schliemann's controversial excavation methods. This volume remains an important source for the historiography of archaeology.

In the winter of 1880 1881, the wealthy German businessman and self-taught archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822 1890) embarked on a new project, to excavate the 'Treasury of Minyas' at Orchomenos. He was accompanied by his wife and by the distinguished Oxford Assyriologist A. H. Sayce. This book, published in 1881, begins with a vivid description of the journey from Athens to Orchomenos, through gorges and swamps, and across mountain passes. Schliemann mentions earlier attempts to excavate the 'treasury' (actually a Mycenaean beehive tomb), the difficulty of the terrain, and how he engaged over 100 local people to assist in the removal of earth and stones from a large area. He lists pottery, artefacts and stone implements, and gives detailed measurements of walls, towers and gates. The book includes drawings of sculpted decorations including rosettes and spirals, and the texts of classical Greek inscriptions found at Orchomenos and at nearby Copae.

Amateur geologist and archaeologist, Boucher de Perthes (1788-1868) was the first to establish the existence of man in Europe in the Pleistocene period. Although his three-volume work resulted from over ten years of excavations in the gravel pits of the Somme Valley, Boucher de Perthes' assertions were doubted by contemporaries. His conclusion was based on the simultaneous discovery of flint tools and human remains. These doubts appeared justified when a human jaw uncovered during one of his excavations turned out to be a hoax. De Perthes' findings later received support from the British Royal Society, sparking an explosion of scientific research on evolution. De Perthes was elected an officer of the Legion d'Honneur, and served as President of the Societe d'Emulation d'Abbeville (Competitiveness Society) for seventeen years. Volume 1 reports the findings of excavations from 1837 to 1846. Published in Paris in 1847, it includes 80 illustrative plates.

Amateur geologist and archaeologist, Boucher de Perthes (1788-1868) was the first to establish the existence of man in Europe in the Pleistocene period. Although his three volume work resulted from over ten years of excavations in the gravel pits of the Somme Valley, Boucher de Perthes' assertions were doubted by contemporaries. His conclusion was based on the simultaneous discovery of flint tools and human remains. These doubts appeared justified when a human jaw uncovered during one of his excavations turned out to be a hoax. De Perthes' findings later received support from the British Royal Society, sparking an explosion of scientific research on evolution. De Perthes was elected an officer of the Legion d'Honneur, and served as President of the Societe d'Emulation d'Abbeville (Competitiveness Society) for seventeen years. Volume 2 describes his further excavations in the Somme Valley. Published in Paris in 1857, it includes 26 plates.

Amateur geologist and archaeologist, Boucher de Perthes (1788-1868) was the first to establish the existence of man in Europe in the Pleistocene period. Although his three-volume work resulted from over ten years of excavations in the gravel pits of the Somme Valley, Boucher de Perthes' assertions were doubted by contemporaries. His conclusion was based on the simultaneous discovery of flint tools and human remains. These doubts appeared justified when a human jaw uncovered during one of his excavations turned out to be a hoax. De Perthes' findings later received support from the British Royal Society, sparking an explosion of scientific research on evolution. De Perthes was elected an officer of the Legion d'Honneur, and served as President of the Societe d'Emulation d'Abbeville (Competitiveness Society) for seventeen years. Published in Paris, 1864, volume 3 includes results from further excavations, and articles by leading French and British scientists.

Heinrich Schliemann (1822 1890) was a successful businessman and self-taught archaeologist who is best known for discovering the site of the ancient city of Troy. In this 1874 work, written in the style of a diary, Schliemann describes his excavations at Hissarlik in Turkey, which revealed the remains of not just one but several substantial, superimposed ancient settlements, the earliest of which dates back to 4500 BCE. Schliemann himself was convinced that he had located Troy, and the spectacular golden treasure which he unearthed made his discovery famous around the world. Although his excavating techniques were crude, and later work on the site has led to the conclusion that the treasure dates from a much earlier settlement than Homeric Troy, Schliemann's achievement was extraordinary and his account makes compelling reading. This book was translated into English in 1875 as Troy and Its Remains, also reissued in this series.

Where is Troy? For Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890) the search for its exact location became a consuming passion. In 1869, when this book was first published, the existence of a real - as opposed to mythical - Troy was still disputed. The wealthy German businessman, linguist and speculator journeyed to Greece and Asia Minor in order to undertake excavations well before archaeology developed into a modern, scientific profession. This book describes his first expedition in 1868 to Corfu, Cephalonia, the Peloponnese and Ithaca. Schliemann was convinced that the mound of Hissarlik in Turkey was the site of Troy, and the golden artifacts of his 'treasury of Priam' persuaded the public of its historicity, though his destructive methods of excavation caused extensive damage to the site. Schliemann returned to Troy several times during the course of his career and published further books (also reissued in this series) about his discoveries.

The area of the Judean Foothills – the biblical Shephelah – has in recent years become one of the most intensively excavated regions in the world. Numerous projects, at sites of different types and utilizing various methodological approaches, are actively excavating in this region. Of particular importance are the discoveries dating to the Iron Age, a period when this region was a transition zone between various cultures—Philistine, Canaanite, Judahite, and Israelite. The current volume includes reports from eight of the excavations currently being conducted in the region (Azekah, Beth Shemesh, Gezer, Khirbet Qeiyafa, Tel Burna, Tel Halif, Tell es-Safi/Gath, and Tel Zayit), as well as a general study of the region by Ido Koch. The importance of this volume lies not only in the fact that it collects up-to-date reports on most of the current excavations in the region but also demonstrates the lively, at times even boisterous, scholarly discussions taking place on various issues relating to the archaeology and history of the Iron Age Shephelah and its immediate environs. This volume serves as an excellent introduction to current research on the Iron Age in this crucial zone and also serves as a reflection of current trends, methodologies, and approaches in the archaeology of the Southern Levant.

Clothing was crucial in human evolution, and having to cope with climate change was as true in prehistory as it is today. In Climate, Clothing, and Agriculture in Prehistory, Ian Gilligan offers the first complete account of the development of clothing as a response to cold exposure during the ice ages. He explores how and when clothes were invented, noting that the thermal motive alone is tenable in view of the naked condition of humans. His account shows that there is considerably more archaeological evidence for palaeolithic clothes than is generally appreciated. Moreover, Gilligan posits, clothing played a leading role in major technological innovations. He demonstrates that fibre production and the advent of woven fabrics, developed in response to global warming, were pivotal to the origins of agriculture. Drawing together evidence from many disciplines, Climate Clothing, and Agriculture in Prehistory is written in a clear and engaging style, and is illustrated with nearly 100 images.

Aspen Shelter on the Old Woman Plateau in central Utah was a hub of deer hunting activity from 4,000 years ago until the end of the Fremont era, about AD 1200. Thousands of deer bones discarded at the site are evidence of these early hunters' success. In addition to the faunal remains, excavators uncovered two small house basins with central hearths and reflector stones dating to the Late Archaic period. Projectile points and miscellaneous butchering tools are common, as are milling tools and plant macrophytes. The Aspen Shelter occupation complements Sudden Shelter, a few miles south, where use ceased by the Late Archaic.

According to archeological and historical records, the Bahrain Islands of the Arabian Gulf were the home of a flourishing civilization four thousant years ago. Then, as now, these islands served as an important locus of maritime trade, but they were also characterized as a land of copious artesian springs and fertile fields. Modern Bahrain, in contrast, is beset by environmental and demographic problems: the depletion of the artesian water supply, abandonment of rural agricultural lands, and rapid population growth. In this exemplary interdisciplinary study, Curtis E. Larsen combines archeological, geological, historical, and anthropological methods to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental and socioeconomic context that links Bahrain's present to its past.

By the Early Holocene (10,000 to 8,000 B.P.), small wandering bands of Archaic hunter-gatherers began to annually follow the same hunting trails, basing their temporary camps on seasonal conditions and the presence of food. The Pleistocene glaciers had receded by this time, making food more plentiful in some areas and living conditions less hazardous. Although these Archaic peoples have long been known from their primary activities as hunters and gatherers of wild food resources, recent evidence has been found that indicates they also began rudimentary cultivation sometime during the Middle Holocene.Richard Jefferies - an Archaic specialist - comprehensively addresses the approximately 7,000 years of the prehistory of eastern North America, termed the Archaic Period by archaeologists. Jefferies centers his research on a 380-mile section of the Lower Ohio River Valley, an area rife with both temporary and long-term Archaic sites. He covers the duration of the Holocene and provides a compendium of knowledge of the era, including innovative research strategies and results. Presenting these data from a cultural-ecological perspective emphasizing the relationships between hunter-gatherers and the environments in which they lived, Jefferies integrates current research strategies with emerging theories that are beginning to look at culture history in creative ways.

This book presents a group of small and inconspicuous barrows that were recently discovered in the forest of Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. They are part of an extensive barrow landscape of which little was yet known. Fieldwork carried out in and around them yielded a wealth of new data. It was discovered that even the most inconspicuous and heavily damaged mound of this group still contained many special features. This special place was anchored around a site that probably had a particular significance in the Late Neolithic, and where special rituals were carried out during the Bronze Age, resulting in the construction of an enigmatic row of pits - rituals the likes of which have not previously been attested around barrows in the Netherlands, but which are known elsewhere in Europe. The dead were buried at locations that were probably only later covered by monuments. During the Bronze Age (between the 18th and 15th centuries BC) the mounds of this small barrow group were used as collective graves for what was probably perceived as one specific 'community of ancestors'. The burial practices in the mounds show strong similarities and it is argued that these barrows were each other's successors, representing the funeral history of people who wished to unite their forebears in death as one unproblematic whole without distinctions. The fieldwork showed that even small-scale, partial excavations of a seemingly minor barrow group can inform us on the significance of the extensive barrow landscapes they are part of - a knowledge that can help us to understand the prehistoric legacy of the Netherlands and to protect it for the future as heritage.

Stonehenge is one of the world's most famous monuments. Who built it, how and why are questions that have endured for at least 900 years, but modern methods of investigation are now able to offer up a completely new understanding of this iconic stone circle. Stonehenge's history straddles the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, though its story began long before it was built. Serving initially as a burial ground, it evolved over time into a sacred place for gathering, feasting and building, and was remodelled several times as different peoples arrived in the area along with new technologies and customs. In more recent centuries it has found itself the centre of excavations, political protests and even conspiracy theories, embedding itself in the consciousness of the modern world. In this book Mike Parker Pearson draws on two decades of research, the results of recent excavations and cutting-edge scientific analyses to uncover many of the secrets that this prehistoric stone circle has kept for 5,000 years. In doing so, he paints the most comprehensive picture yet of the history of Stonehenge, from its origins up to the 21st century, and reveals how in some ways trying to explain its power of attraction in the present is harder than explaining its purpose in the ancient past.

Ireland's First Settlers tells the story of the archaeology and history of the first continuous phase of Ireland’s human settlement. It combines centuries of search and speculation about human antiquity in Ireland with a review of what is known today about the Irish Mesolithic. This is, in part, provided in the context of the author's 50 years of personal experience searching to make sense of what initially appeared to be little more than a collection of beach rolled and battered flint tools. The story is embedded in how the island of Ireland, its position, distinct landscape and ecology impacted on when and how Ireland was colonised. It also explores how these first settlers evolved their technologies and lifeways to suit the narrow range of abundant resources that were available. The volume concludes with discussions on how the landscape should be searched for the often ephemeral traces of these early settlers and how sites should be excavated. It asks what we really know about the thoughts and life of the people themselves and what happened to them as farming began to be introduced.

In this volume, Odell presents a detailed comparative analysis of standardized lithic data from 10 Illinois Valley components spanning 7500 years from the Early Archaic through the Mississippian perhaps the first time that such a comprehensive set of lithic variables has been analyzed for the entire Holocene of a region. A major part of this study constitutes the most extensive application of low-power lithic use-wear analysis to be found in the literature, accompanied by full discussion of the technique and a suite of new experimental data. The results provide significant information on prehistoric mobility and technological organization in mid-continental North America, revealing clearly for the first time a number of significant behavioral trends: e.g., an increase in the hafting of tools, economizing behavior in chert-poor areas, apparent change in projectile technology, changes in tool use intensity, and symboling behavior. These trends are supported by a massive set of easily accessible tables of data located in the appendix."

This book provides a general self-reflexive review and critical analysis of Scandinavian rock art from the standpoint of Chris Tilley’s research in this area over the last thirty years. It offers a novel alternative theoretical perspective stressing the significance of visual narrative structure and rhythm, using musical analogies, putting particular emphasis on the embodied perception of images in a landscape context. Part I reviews the major theories and interpretative perspectives put forward to understand the images, in historical perspective, and provides a critique discussing each of the main types of motifs occurring on the rocks. Part II outlines an innovative theoretical and methodological perspective for their study stressing sequence and relationality in bodily movement from rock to rock. Part III is a detailed case study and analysis of a series of rocks from northern Bohuslän in western Sweden. The conclusions reflect on the theoretical and methodological approach being taken in relation to the disciplinary practices involved in rock art research, and its future.