Book News 76 Prehistory

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Book News 76 Prehistory Method and Theory 1 Albania: An Archaeological Guide New from Oxbow Books By Oliver Gilkes Oliver Gilkes has considerable experience excavating Experimental Archaeology and Theory: Recent in Butrint and carrying out research at other Approaches to Archaeological Hypotheses Albanian sites and this book is clearly a labour of Edited by Frederick love. After providing essential background to the Foulds country’s history he selects 50 of the most interesting Experimental Archaeology sites, from Neolithic settlements and Bronze Age aims to bridge the gap in burial sites, to Classical towns and villas, medieval archaeology between churches, Venetian fortifications, and Communist empirical testing and era defence works. Plans are provided for all sites, humanistic approaches to and detailed instructions are provided to enable you understanding the material find them, particularly those that are off the beaten record. The contributors track. 332p, b/w illus, col pls (Tauris & Co Ltd 2013) explore a wide variety of 9781780760698 Hb £49.50 different fields including Time’s Anvil: England, Archaeology and the how a phenomenological Imagination methodology can be used to By Richard Morris increase our understanding of how a Bronze Age Zig-zagging between prehistoric stone tools and temple was ‘experienced’ by people in the past; how Tudor theatre, primal wildwood and mass-produced experimentation in the production of materials such cars, Time’s Anvil weaves a series of interconnecting as rawhide, glass and wine-making can be used to studies of apparently unrelated things and periods test theories or written sources and the possibilities that are normally considered in isolation. In the of studying the three-dimensional morphology of process he re-examines aspects of England’s story Acheulian handaxes to search for possible from the end of the last glacial period to the present. idiosyncratic indicators during the Lower Combining the personal with the academic and Palaeolithic. The papers reflect the continued reflecting on how and why archaeology goes about diversity of work that experimental archaeology is its business, the result is a fresh account of who we able to produce and show how experimentation can are and our relationship with Nature. 466p, b/w be integrated with theory to substantiate a variety illus (Weidenfeld & Nicholson 2012) 9780297867838 Hb of hypotheses, whether validating information from £25.00, 9781780222448 Pb £9.99 written sources or testing the inferences of more Soviet Archaeology: Trends, Schools, and recent theoretical ideology. 144p b/w illus (Oxbow Books 2013) 9781842177662 Pb £35.00 History By Leo S Klejn Re-Presenting the Past: Archaeology through Leo Klejn, an archaeologist active in Soviet Russia, Text and Image examines the peculiar phenomenon which was edited by Sheila Bonde and Stephen Houston Soviet archaeology, showing where it differs from The archaeological past exists Western archaeology and the archaeology of pre- for us through intermed- revolutionary Russia, and where it reveals iaries. Some are written similarities. He asks whether Soviet archaeology can works, descriptions, narra- be regarded as Marxist, showing that Soviet tives and field notes, while archaeology was no monolithic bloc. Rather it was others are visual: the divided into competing schools and trends and, even drawings, paintings, photo- beneath the veil of Marxist ideology, was often graphs, powerpoints or closely related to movements current in Western computer visualizations that archaeology. 411p b/w illus (Oxford UP 2012) allow us to re-present past 9780199601356 Hb £85.00 forms of human existence. European Archaeology Abroad: Global Here two papers explore the classical past and medieval Settings, Comparative Perspectives visualizations. Three treat the Maya, and one Edited by S.J. van der Lindt, M. H. Van den Dries, considers the imaging by eighteenth-century Nathan Schlanger & C.G. Slappendel antiquarians of British history. Others engage with What are European archaeologists doing abroad? issues of recording by looking, for example, at the What have they been doing there for the past three ways in which nineteenth–century excavation to four centuries? Are they doing things differently photographs can aid in the reconstruction of an nowadays? To address these questions, this book inscription or by evaluating the process of mapping explores the scope, impact and ethics of European a site with ArcGIS and computer animation archaeological policies and practices in the software. All essays raise key questions about the Mediterranean area, the Near East, sub-Saharan function of re-presentations of the past in current Africa, Asia and Latin America. 422p, col and b/w ilus archaeological practice. 215p b/w illus (Oxbow Books/ (Sidestone Press 2013) 9789088901065 Pb £45.00 Joukowsky Institute 2013) 9781782972310 Pb £25.00 - only £40.00 prior to publication! ***NYP*** 2 Method and Theory New from Oxbow Books Archaeological Practice in Great Britain By John Schofield, John Carman & Paul Belford The Archaeology of Household Presented in an accessible style, with a edited by Ivan Briz i Godino and Marco Madella comprehensive and up-to-date bibliography and lists From the simplest hunter– of useful websites, this book is written specifically gatherer society to the most as a source book for budding archaeologists and powerful Empire, all societies other heritage practitioners, while providing useful are built on basic daily life, context and information for those working developed day to day with its elsewhere in the heritage sector, away from the specific material conditions. ‘coalface’. The three main authors have very different Household archaeology but complementary backgrounds, and in writing looks at the detail of the this book they have taken responsibility for the living domain, exploring the topics they know best. Other professionals with most essential elements of any particular areas of expertise contribute short sections social dynamic, the on particular (and often practical) subjects such as archaeology of the small scale. health and safety. 248p, b/w illus (Springer Verlag 2012) The Archaeology of Household 9780387094526 Hb £90.00, 9781461430353 Pb £44.99 looks this this important aspect of archaeological Training and Practice for Modern Day study in a variety of different ways, using theoretical and social perspectives, deep thinking about the Archaeologists mathematical nature of household space, and how Edited by John H. Jameson & James Eogan societies’ world views were reflected in domestic This volume explores a relatively new development space. Case studies include hunter–gatherer societies in archaeology and historical preservation: new in America, Neolithic and Bronze age lakeside approaches to archaeological and heritage education settlements in Switzerland and the Alpine region, and training that accommodate globalisation and Bronze Age sites in Hungary and northern Europe the realities of the 21st century worldwide. It and Archaic period Sicily. 248p, 125 b/w + col illus. examines how the government, universities, and (Oxbow Books, 2012) 9781842175170 Hb £49.95 private sector meet, albeit not always successfully, the educational and practical needs of practicing Ancient Textiles, Modern Science archaeologists today. It gets to the heart of a number edited by Heather Hopkins of relevant issues: the international mobility of This book is the publication of a series of lectures archaeologists and heritage managers; the problems and experiments that were of sustaining employment in a volatile market; undertaken at the First and employment of archaeologists in managing the Second European Textile archaeological impact of development projects; Forums in 2009 and 2010. training partnerships; and the generation and Each had a new approach, interpretation of archaeological data and knowledge exploring a question of that results from such projects. 300p, b/w illus textile manufacture in a (Springer Verlag 2012) 9781461455288 Hb £90.00 scientific way, revealing answers and outcomes Network Analysis in Archaeology: New that were unavailable appraoches to regional interaction before. The First European Edited by Carl Knappett Textile Forum hosted an This volume provides a experiment that found the coherent framework on relationship between archaeological hand–spinning network analysis in current finds and the yarn they produce. The Second archaeological practice by European Textile Forum explored the practical pulling together its main aspects of undertaking reconstructions such as Stone themes and approaches to Age fabrics, Roman dyeing or the clothing of show how it is changing the Gunnister Man, including the deconstruction of the way archaeologists face the original artefact, allowing for the unexpected and key questions of regional the implications of new findings. Techniques for interaction. Working with the treating raw materials, creating fabrics and finishing term ‘network’ as a collection artefacts are also explored. The wider purpose and of nodes and links, as used in legacy of the European Textile Forum is as a network science and social network analysis, it foundation for the coming years. The basis for juxtaposes a range of case studies and investigates research and communication, with a market for the positives and negatives of network analysis. With exchanging tools and materials, means that each contributions by leading experts in the field, the participant can avoid individually ‘re-inventing
Recommended publications
  • Stonehenge Bibliography
    Bibliography Abbot, M. and Anderson-Whymark, H., 2012. Anon., 2011a, Discoveries provide evidence of Stonehenge Laser Scan: archaeological celestial procession at Stonehenge. On-line analysis report. English Heritage project source available at: 6457. English Heritage Research Report http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/ Series no. 32-2012, available at: 2011/11/25Nov-Discoveries-provide- http://services.english- evidence-of-a-celestial-procession-at- herita ge.org.uk/Resea rch Repo rtsPdf s/032_ Stonehenge.aspx (accessed 2 April 2012). 2012WEB.pdf Anon., 2011b, Stonehenge’s sister? Current Alexander, C., 2009, If the stones could speak: Archaeology, 260, 6–7. Searching for the meaning of Stonehenge. Anon., 2011c, Home is where the heath is. National Geographic, 213.6 (June 2008), Late Neolithic house, Durrington Walls. 34–59. Current Archaeology, 256, 42–3. Allen, S., 2008, The quest for the earliest Anon., 2011d, Stonehenge rocks. Current published image of Stonehinge (sic). Archaeology, 254, 6–7. Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural Anon., 2012a, Origin of some of the Bluestone History Magazine, 101, 257–9. debris at Stonehenge. British Archaeology, Anon., 2006, Excavation and Fieldwork in 123, 9. Wiltshire 2004. Wiltshire Archaeological Anon., 2012b, Stonehenge: sourcing the and Natural History Magazine, 99, 264–70. Bluestones. Current Archaeology, 263, 6– Anon., 2007a, Excavation and Fieldwork in 7. Wiltshire 2005. Wiltshire Archaeological Aronson, M., 2010, If stones could speak. and Natural History Magazine, 100, 232– Unlocking the secrets of Stonehenge. 39. Washington DC: National Geographic. Anon., 2007b, Before Stonehenge: village of Avebury Archaeological and Historical wild parties. Current Archaeology, 208, Research Group (AAHRG) 2001 17–21.
    [Show full text]
  • Pearson, M. P. & Al.: Stonehenge for the Ancestors, 1
    PEARSON, M. P. & AL.: STONEHENGE FOR THE ANCESTORS, 1: LANDSCAPE AND MONUMENTS 1. Introduction The Stonehenge Riverside Project Background to the project Implications of the hypothesis Research aims M. Parker Pearson, J. Pollard, C. Richards, J. Thomas C. Tilley, K. Welham and P. Marshall 2. Fourth millennium BC beginnings: monuments in the landscape The landscape of the fourth millennium BC – (C. Tilley, W. Bennett and D. Field) Geophysical surveys of the Greater Cursus and Amesbury 42 long barrow – (K. Welham, C. Steele, L. Martin and A. Payne) 3. Fourth millennium BC beginnings: excavations of the Greater Cursus, Amesbury 42 long barrow and a tree-throw pit at Woodhenge The Greater Stonehenge Cursus – (J. Thomas) Amesbury 42 long barrow – (J. Thomas) Investigations of the buried soil beneath the mound of Amesbury 42 – (M.J. Allen) Stonehenge Lesser Cursus, Stonehenge Greater Cursus and the Amesbury 42 long barrow: radiocarbon dating – (P. D. Marshall, C. Bronk Ramsey and G. Cook) Antler artefact from the Greater Cursus and Amesbury 42 long barrow – (G. Davies) Pottery from the Greater Cursus and Amesbury 42 long barrow – (R. Cleal) Chalk artefact from the Greater Cursus – (A. Teather) Lithics from stratified contexts of the Greater Cursus – (B. Chan) Lithics from the ploughsoil of the Greater Cursus – (D. Mitcham) Lithics from stratified contexts of Amesbury 42 long barrow – (B. Chan) Human remains from Amesbury 42 long barrow and the Greater Cursus – (A. Chamberlain and C. Willis) Charred plant remains and wood charcoal from the Greater Cursus and Amesbury 42 long barrow – (E. Simmons) Woodhenge tree-throw pit – (J. Pollard) Pottery from the Woodhenge tree-throw pit – (Rosamund M.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Stonehenge's Avenue and Bluestonehenge
    Stonehenge’s Avenue and Bluestonehenge Michael J. Allen1, Ben Chan2, Ros Cleal3, Charles French4, Peter Marshall5, Joshua Pollard6, Rebecca Pullen7, Colin Richards8, Clive Ruggles9, David Robinson10, Jim Rylatt11, Julian Thomas8, Kate Welham12 & Mike Parker Pearson13,* Stonehenge has long been known to form part of a larger prehistoric landscape (Figure 1). In particular, it is part of a composite monument that includes the Stonehenge Avenue, first mapped in 1719–1723 by William Stukeley (1740) who recorded that it ran from Stonehenge’s northeast entrance for over a kilometre towards the River Avon, bending southeast and crossing King Barrow Ridge before disappearing under ploughed ground. He also noted that its initial 500m-long stretch from Stonehenge was aligned towards the midsummer solstice sunrise. Archaeological excavations during the 20th century revealed that the Avenue consists of two parallel banks with external, V-profile ditches, about 22m apart. The dating, phasing and extent of the Avenue, however, remained uncertain. Its length could be traced no closer than 200m from the River Avon (Smith 1973), and the question of whether the Avenue’s construction constituted a single event had not been entirely resolved (Cleal et al. 1995: 327). Our investigations were part of a re-evaluation of Stonehenge and its relationship to the River Avon in 2008–2009, involving the re-opening and extension of trenches previously dug across the Avenue during the 20th century and digging new trenches at West Amesbury beyond the then-known limit of the Avenue. The result of this work was the discovery of a new henge at West Amesbury, situated at the hitherto undiscovered east end of the Avenue beside the River Avon.
    [Show full text]
  • Stonehenge for the Ancestors, Part the Monograph Is a Hefty 602 Pages, Packed 1: Landscape and Monuments
    Early View: Zitierfähige Online-Fassung mit vorläufiger Seitenzählung. Nach Erscheinen des gedruckten Bandes finden Sie den Beitrag mit den endgültigen Seitenzahlen im Open Access dort: http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/arch-inf Den gedruckten Band erhalten Sie unter http://www.archaeologische-informationen.de. Early View: Quotable online version with preliminary pagination. After the printed volume has appeared you can find this article with its final pagination as open access publication there: http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archParker-inf Pearson,The printed volumeM. et al.will (eds) be available (2020). there: Stonehenge http://www.archaeologische-informationen.de for the Ancestors 1 . Review of: Parker Pearson, M., Pollard, J., Rich- mations buried near the Cuckoo Stone are given ards, C., Thomas, J., Tilley, C. & Welham, K. but no further details are provided. (eds) (2020). Stonehenge for the Ancestors, Part The monograph is a hefty 602 pages, packed 1: Landscape and Monuments. Leiden: Side- with in-depth specialist reports and thorough stone Press. 606 pp, 202 illustrations (b/w), 190 excavation descriptions. The publisher Sidestone illustrations (colour), hb/pb/online. ISBN 978-90- Press has used an innovative publishing model, 8890-702-9. https://www.sidestone.com/books/ with the book available at various prices: an ex- stonehenge-for-the-ancestors-part-1 pensive hardback, a less expensive paperback, a very modestly priced downloadable PDF, or a free Susan Greaney version to read online. This aim to provide free public access is admirable; the website informs This is the first of four volumes setting out in full that it has been read online 890 times since pub- the results of the Stonehenge Riverside Project lication in October 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Neolithic of Europe.Indb
    THE NEOLITHIC OF EUROPE PAPERS IN HONOUR OF ALASDAIR WHITTLE THE NEOLITHIC OF EUROPE PAPERS IN HONOUR OF ALASDAIR WHITTLE Edited by PENNY BICKLE, VICKI CUMMINGS, DANIELA HOFMANN AND JOSHUA POLLARD Oxford & Philadelphia Published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by OXBOW BOOKS The Old Music Hall, 106–108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JE and in the United States by OXBOW BOOKS 1950 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083 © Oxbow Books and the individual authors 2017 Hardcover Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-654-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-655-4 (epub) A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library and the Library of Congress All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher in writing. Printed in Malta by Gutenberg Press Ltd Typeset in India by Lapiz Digital Services, Chennai For a complete list of Oxbow titles, please contact: UNITED KINGDOM Oxbow Books Telephone (01865) 241249, Fax (01865) 794449 Email: [email protected] www.oxbowbooks.com UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Oxbow Books Telephone (800) 791-9354, Fax (610) 853-9146 Email: [email protected] www.casemateacademic.com/oxbow Oxbow Books is part of the Casemate Group Front cover: Alleskoven dolmen, Denmark (Vicki Cummings). Back cover: La Table des Marchands, France (Vicki Cummings); a reconstructed LBK longhouse in the Paris basin (Penny Bickle); Carrowmore, Ireland (Vicki Cummings); an excavation in progress at the Herpaly tell, Hungary (Pál Raczky).
    [Show full text]
  • The Henge Monuments of Wessex
    Enclosing the Neolithic Recent studies in Britain and Europe Edited by Alex Gibson BAR International Series 2440 2012 Published by Archaeopress Publishers of British Archaeological Reports Gordon House 276 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED England [email protected] www.archaeopress.com BAR S2440 Enclosing the Neolithic: Recent studies in Britain and Europe © Archaeopress and the individual authors 2012 ISBN 978 1 4073 1039 8 Printed in England by Information Press, Oxford All BAR titles are available from: Hadrian Books Ltd 122 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7BP England www.hadrianbooks.co.uk The current BAR catalogue with details of all titles in print, prices and means of payment is available free from Hadrian Books or may be downloaded from www.archaeopress.com Living with Sacred Spaces: The Henge Monuments of Wessex Joshua Pollard Abstract By asking why henge monuments might be constructed in the first place, and in the locations where they were, we might better be able to understand their form and purpose. Here the matter is approached at two scales: first at a macro level by asking why the Wessex region should have become such a focus for monument construction during the first three quarters of the 3rd millennium BC. The second is more specific and seeks to understand the local conditions in which places might be transformed and become sufficiently sanctified to require monumentalisation. It is argued that places and their properties, powers and politics all played their part. Keywords: Wessex, henge, settlement, monumentalisation, sacredness The sheer concentration and often immense scale of the later Neolithic (c.3000-2400 BC) monuments of Wessex marks the prehistory of this region of southern Britain as something exceptional.
    [Show full text]
  • Texto Completo (Pdf)
    Excavation of Aubrey Hole 7 at Stonehenge in 2008. Photograph: Adam Stanford of Aerial-Cam // Excavación del Hoyo Audrey 7 en Stonehenge en 2008. Fotografía: Adam Stanford, de Aerial Cam. STONEHENGE: CONTROVERSIES OF THE BLUESTONES STONEHENGE: LAS CONTROVERSIAS DE LAS PIEDRAS AZULES Mike Parker Pearson (Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield). [ [email protected] ] Joshua Pollard (Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton). [ [email protected] ] Colin Richards (School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, University of Manchester). [ [email protected] ] Julian Thomas (School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, University of Manchester). [ [email protected] ] Kate Welham (School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University). [ [email protected] ] Richard Bevins (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff). [ [email protected] ] Robert Ixer (Freelance geological consultant, Sutton Coldfield). [ [email protected] ] Peter Marshall (Honorary lecturer, University of Sheffield). [ [email protected] ] Andrew Chamberlain (Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield). [ [email protected] ] Summary Resumen Whilst the sarsen stones of Stonehenge were Mientras que las piedras sarsen de Stonehenge brought from a short distance of about 30 km away, fueron traídas de una distancia corta de unos 30 km, the smaller bluestones originate in Wales, over 200 las piedras azules, más pequeñas, son originarias de km to the west. This remarkable distance for
    [Show full text]
  • Seeing Beneath Stonehenge; Using Google Earth As a Tool for Public Engagement and the Dissemination of Archaeological Data
    Google Under-the-Earth: Seeing Beneath Stonehenge; using Google Earth as a Tool for Public Engagement and the Dissemination of Archaeological Data Key Words Google Earth, Archaeology, Virtual Globe, Web GIS, Public Engagement, Stonehenge Riverside Project, Survey, Spatial Data, Seeing Beneath Stonehenge, Landscape, Excavations, 3D Reconstructions, Open Source. Abstract This paper focuses on the use of Google Earth as a tool to facilitate public engagement and dissemination of data. It examines a case study based around one of the largest archaeological investigations of the Stonehenge landscape, the Stonehenge Riverside Project. A bespoke layer for Google Earth was developed to communicate the discoveries of the research by creating an engaging, interactive and informative multimedia application that could be viewed by users across the world. The paper describes the creation of the layer: Google Under-the-Earth: Seeing Beneath Stonehenge, and the public uptake and response to this. The project was supported by a Google Research Award, and working alongside Google enabled a ‘free to download’ platform for users to view the data within in the form of Google Earth, as well as the integration of a variety of applications including: Google SketchUp, YouTube, and Flickr. In addition, the integration of specialist software, such as Esri ArcGIS, was fundamental to the integration of the spatial data gathered by the project. Methodologies used to create the application are documented here, including how different outputs were integrated such as geophysical survey, 3D reconstructions and landscape tours. The future possibilities for utilising Google Earth for public engagement and understanding in the discipline are examined. Contents Abstract Table of Contents List of Figures List of Videos 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Deadline 2 Submission
    Deadline 2 Submission: Subject: Application by Highways England for an Order Granting Development Consent for the A303 Stonehenge - Amesbury to Berwick Down (TR010025). Reference: 20020818 - R P Bartosz I am a retired landscape and countryside professional of thirty-seven years experience, with over twenty years in the context of landscape assessment, covering the evolution of methodology from landscape evaluation through to landscape character assessment (LCA). This included direct experience of landscape and visual impact assessment (LVIA) on major projects, and local authority policy input, including representation at Examination In Public. I am currently undertaking independent research in archaeoastronomy - since 2006. This written representation covers aspects of Principal Issues 9 and 10 as at Annex C in the Rule 8 letter dated 11th April 2019. It is based on research in progress and includes unpublished extracts considered material to this application. My overall conclusion is that the impact on Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) would be significantly negative, and my stand is therefore one of objection to the granting of a Development Consent Order. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Prior representation 1.1.1 This submission is pursuant to the corresponding Relevant Representation in which the purpose stated was to make more detailed representation in respect of Paragraph 201, and related Paragraphs 195 and 196, of Section 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework. The evidence now presented will focus on, i) The extent to which the prehistoric setting of the heritage asset of Stonehenge may be identified and fixed geographically, and ii) The identification of missing astronomical elements at play, considered significant to the understanding of Stonehenge and its setting.
    [Show full text]
  • ARCL3068, Neolithic of Britain
    UCL - INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY ARCL0078: The Age of Stonehenge 2019/2020 Year 2/3 Option, 0.5 unit Turnitin Class ID: ******* Turnitin Password IoA1920 Essay (2,375-2,625 words) submission date: 18 November 2019 (Target return: 25 November 2019) Co-ordinator: Prof. Mike Parker Pearson E-mail address: [email protected] Room 310, Institute of Archaeology phone 0207 679 4767 1 1. Overview Stonehenge is the world’s most famous stone circle, dating from the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. An iconic symbol of mystery and counter-culture, it has attracted attention from enthusiasts around the world who have come up with myriad and often bizarre interpretations of who built it, how and why. This half- module will explore Stonehenge and other monumental constructions within their social, cultural and landscape context, allowing Stonehenge to be understood within the world of prehistoric Britain and Europe from the adoption of farming to the development of copper and bronze metallurgy. This course will examine the history of archaeological research on Stonehenge, and the nature of social change from the Neolithic to the Bell Beaker period and the Early Bronze Age. With many recent investigations of Stonehenge producing a wealth of new evidence, this course will bring students up to date on our knowledge of this fascinating period in prehistory. The course covers the prehistory of the British Isles between c.4000 and c.1500 BC, from the introduction of farming to the early Bronze Age. We will cover the Mesolithic background and Neolithic beginnings, the development of Early Neolithic settlement and monumentality, the changing material culture and monument styles of the Middle Neolithic in the prelude to Stonehenge, Late Neolithic settlements and society at the time of Stonehenge, followed by the arrival of the Bell Beaker way of life and the adoption of metallurgy in Britain.
    [Show full text]
  • The Quest for the Origins of Stonehenge
    The Quest for the Origins of Stonehenge “The discovery of a dismantled stone circle—close to Stonehenge’s bluestone quarries in west Wales—raises the possibility that a 900-year-old legend about Stonehenge being built from an earlier stone circle contains a grain of truth. Radiocarbon and OSL dating of Waun Mawn indicate construction c. 3000 BC, shortly before the initial construction of Stonehenge. The identical diameters of Waun Mawn and the enclosing ditch of Stonehenge, and their orientations on the midsummer solstice sunrise, suggest that at least part of the Waun Mawn circle was brought from west Wales to Salisbury Plain. This interpretation complements recent isotope work that supports a hypothesis of migration of both people and animals from Wales to Stonehenge.” – Mike Parker Pearson et al, The original Stonehenge? A dismantled stone circle in the Preseli Hills of west Wales, Antiquity 2021 Vol. 95 (379):pp.85–103. The Quest Begins Following the television program Stonehenge: The Lost Circle Revealed first screened on BBC2 on 12th February, the story claiming to unveil a dramatic discovery linking Stonehenge to its original site 140 miles distant in Preseli, south-west Wales, has gone viral across news channels and social media. Reception has been mixed with some voices accusing the program, presented by respected anthropologist Alice Roberts, as parading myth as fact and not representing good science. Alice Roberts and Mike Parker Pearson at Waun Mawn The Stones of Stonehenge The huge sarsen stones, weighing around 25 tons each, comprising today what remains of the outer circle and inner trilithon horseshoe, were sourced locally and brought from Marlborough Downs about 20 miles away.
    [Show full text]
  • Megaliths and Geology: a Journey Through Monuments, Landscapes and Peoples
    Megaliths and Geology Edited by Rui Boaventura, Rui Mataloto and André Pereira Access Archaeology aeopr ch es r s A A y c g c e o l s o s e A a r c Ah About Access Archaeology Access Archaeology offers a different publishing model for specialist academic material that might traditionally prove commercially unviable, perhaps due to its sheer extent or volume of colour content, or simply due to its relatively niche field of interest. This could apply, for example, to a PhD dissertation or a catalogue of archaeological data. All Access Archaeology publications are available in open-access e-pdf format and in print format. The open-access model supports dissemination in areas of the world where budgets are more severely limited, and also allows individual academics from all over the world the opportunity to access the material privately, rather than relying solely on their university or public library. Print copies, nevertheless, remain available to individuals and institutions who need or prefer them. The material is refereed and/or peer reviewed. Copy-editing takes place prior to submission of the work for publication and is the responsibility of the author. Academics who are able to supply print-ready material are not charged any fee to publish (including making the material available in open-access). In some instances the material is type-set in-house and in these cases a small charge is passed on for layout work. Our principal effort goes into promoting the material, both in open-access and print, where Access Archaeology books get the same level of attention as all of our publications which are marketed through e-alerts, print catalogues, displays at academic conferences, and are supported by professional distribution worldwide.
    [Show full text]