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Prehistoric Wales Final Review The Prehistoric Society Book Reviews BEFORE FARMING LIFE IN PREHISTORIC WALES 300,000-4,000 BC BY J HEATH Carreg Gwalch 2013. 176pp, 82 illus inclu 42 col plates and 8 B/W plates, ISBN 978-1-84527- 456-6, pb, £8 This book is the latest of a series written by the author that introduces the archaeology of Britain, and more specifically Wales, to the general reader. The book aims to provide an introduction to the archaeological evidence for Palaeolithic and Mesolithic occupation within Wales covering a wide date range, 300,000 - 4,000 BC. Before receiving this book I had assumed it was written as a tourist guide, and as such would provide a welcome introduction for those wishing to visit sites. Encouraging a curious public to visit and engage with Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites is difficult, cave sites may fire the imaginations of the public, but Mesolithic flint scatters will always be a challenge! However, I was disappointed, the book lacks a gazetteer or a detailed description of the locations of sites discussed and is therefore of limited value to anyone planning to visit a site. The book does not make it clear whether sites discussed have public access - some of the cave sites discussed are publically accessible (with care), such as Cat Hole and Paviland Cave, others such as Pontnewydd and Kendrick’s Cave are not. The book is generally well written and in a style suitable for a general readership and contains a glossary of terms (although terms selected for inclusion is perplexing). I acknowledge that many may be put off by extended citations, but a total absence detracts from the authority of the book and provides no means of following up specific points made. The book does contain a bibliography (rather than a further reading list), but with the absence of references it is difficult to marry up the items listed with points made within the text. The book unfortunately lacks a clear and concise introduction or conclusion. It begins with an overview of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, outlining the environmental background and nature of the archaeological evidence but this introduction provides no clues on how the text will be organised or what the reader may expect. The absence of a clear conclusion or summary means the book ends very abruptly and the chapters, while organised chronologically, are variable in scope and focus. Some chapters explore broad time frames whilst others specific geographic areas and sites. The text tends to be descriptive and focussed on a few key sites such as Pontnewydd Cave and Nab Head rather than providing a synthesis of the available evidence. The book contains seven chapters, through which the author discusses key Welsh sites – Pontnewydd Cave, Paviland, Cave and Cat Hole Cave, Waun Fignen Felen, Nab Head, Goldcliff and Rhuddlan. Whilst the book aims to discuss the evidence from Wales much of the discussion describes evidence from the UK, Europe and beyond. Comparison drawn from better studied areas is not surprising, but I was disappointed that a more detailed discussion was not given to the Welsh evidence and its wider significance. This book, with is less than coherent structure, reads like a train of thought rather than as a carefully constructed argument. One effect of this approach is that this extended period of prehistory is presented, unintentionally, as lacking in variability through time and between sites. It is hard to see who this book is aimed at. The lack of references, preclude its potential use in teaching or research. But equally the book does not work as a ‘glove compartment’ guide to visiting sites in Wales. However, the book does offer a very accessible (background) introduction to the Early Prehistory of Wales that will appeal to the general reader. Unfortunately, the engaging tourist guidebook to Mesolithic flint scatters in Wales has yet to be written! Gary Robinson Bangor University Received: August 2014 The views expressed in this review are not those of the Society or the Reviews Editor .
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