Prehistory Bookshop: Before the Written Word.

Bookshop — Prehistory

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Before the Written Record

Our definition of ‘prehistory’ for the purposes of the Bookshop requires a word of explanation. This page is concerned mainly with Western Europe, up until the time of major cultural dissemination from the Mediterranean world of Greece and the Italian peninsula. These ancient societies left no written history and our glimpses into their lives and beliefs are at best partial, derived from the archaeology of settlements, burials and monuments; and in later periods from the accounts of the literate civilisations that came into contact with them.

Origins

Recent years have seen tremendous progress in the development of scientific techniques that allow the past to be examined against different criteria and with increasing accuracy. Three titles by the same popular author provide a useful introduction to the way to the use of genetics in the search for origins.

The Real Eve: Modern Man's Journey Out of Africa / Stephen Oppenheimer

A groundbreaking and (for some) contentious piece of work that uses the newly developing analytical tools of mitochondrial DNA and mutations in the Y chromosome to trace the origins and distribution of modern humanity. Mitochondrial DNA, handed down from mother to daughter, suggest time-lines and a common ancestor of homo sapiens in Africa. The Y chromosome, passed on to males, gives a geographical locator. Combining the two, Oppenheimer proposes migration routes that displaced indigenous Neanderthal populations and included the early settlement of Australasia and later dispersal to the Americas, a theory that conflicted with the conventional wisdom at the time of publication. Oppenheimer also takes into account the impact of climate change on human movements and settlement.

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Out of Eden / Stephen Oppenheimer
Stephen Oppenheimer continues his investigation into the migrations and distribution of homo sapiens, based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA. The author argues for a single eastward exodus out of the Horn of Africa along the coastlines of Arabia, India and the Orient, with incursions along the major river valleys and an eventual entry into Europe from the Asian steppes (the source of major population movements in historic times).

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The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story / Stephen Oppenheimer

The author rattles more than a few cages in an examination of currently available evidence, including genetics and linguistics, that arrives at a working hypothesis for the settlement of the British Isles. Central to the book is the discussion of the boundaries between the Germanic and ‘Celtic’ populations and languages of the Atlantic Fringe. There is interesting speculation on the role of ‘green havens’ as sources of re-population following the retreat of glaciation, with the Basque region taking special significance (also covered in Out of Eden qv). The linguistic arguments might usefully be compared with Barry Cunliffe’s coverage of the same subject in Facing the Ocean (qv). Oppenheimer has been criticised on several point s of detail and for some glaring contradictions; but the book provides much stimulating material and points the way to further exploration. The debate continues.

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The Megalithic West

Throughout the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, the Atlantic fringe saw a remarkable burst of activity that created some of the most iconic monuments of all time. For background, see our article The Megalithic West.

The Ancient Stones of Wales / Chris Barber

Provides an overview of the megalithic architecture of the Principality, together with a gazetteer of megalithic sites.

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Circles of Stone / Aubrey Burl

Widely regarded as the master historian of the megalithic west, Aubrey Burl here joins forces with photographer Max Milligan to produce a lavish volume illustrating the archaeology and history of British stone circles.

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A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany / Aubrey Burl

Callanish, Stonehenge, Er-Lannic, Newgrange — a comprehensive guide to the great prehistoric stone circles of the Atlantic periphery.

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Megalith Builders of Western Europe / Glyn Daniel

More on the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age architects of the great monuments of Western Europe.

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Newgrange: Archaeology, Art and Legend / M J O'Kelly

Pre-dating many of the architectural triumphs of the ancient Middle East, the massive monument of Newgrange is testimony to the technical expertise of Stone Age builders.

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Prehistoric Avebury / Aubrey Burl

Archaeological and historical evidence are combined into a beautifully illustrated account of the largest stone circle in Europe.

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Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales / Glyn Daniel

This study of megalithic burial chambers is worth comparing with more recent archaeological findings and historical interpretation.

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Stone Circles of the British Isles / Aubrey Burl

A standard work. Detailed discussion and analysis of building styles and the significance of the monuments, untinged by fantastic speculation.

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Stukeley's Stonehenge, 1721-1724 / Ed. Burl & Mortimer

A previously unpublished manuscript of William Stukeley, the first antiquarian to conduct serious fieldwork at Stonehenge. His notes contain detailed measurements and drawings, together with observations of features of the ritual landscape that had, until that time, been unrecognised.

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Prehistoric Wales / Frances Lynch

A summary of the current state of research into the monuments, sites and prehistoric artefacts of Wales.

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Cultural Foundations

There is increasing evidence of cultural interchange in Europe from very early times, presenting a picture of extensive communication, continuity and evolution. Barry Cunliffe’s Facing the Ocean sets the scene.

The Ancient Celts / Barry Cunliffe
Did the Celts exist as an homogenous cultural entity? The definition of the ‘Celts’ seems to change from generation to generation. The debate continues.

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Britain BC / Francis Pryor
Recent account of Britain up to the time of the Roman Conquest, somewhat slanted towards the author’s experience of Fenland digs.

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Britain and the Western Seaways / E G Bowen

In the days when overland travel was difficult and often dangerous, the sea provided the equivalent of the modern motorway for the maritime peoples of the west. The result was a ‘Middle Atlantic Zone’ that formed a single cultural entity, where the skills and the foundation were developed for the maritime adventures of later centuries.

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The Celts / Nora Chadwick

The British Celts from their arrival around the 8th century BCE. A somewhat drier narrative than Cunliffe’s and with an insular focus. The debate between the protagonists of invasion/migration and the advocates of cultural dispersion continues, with the latter creeping ahead at the time of writing.

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The Druids / Stewart Piggott
Cuts through the accretions of Victorian and New Age romanticism and returns to ancient sources and archaeology. Still a classic.

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Facing the Ocean: The Atlantic & Its Peoples / Barry Cunliffe
His magnus opus, exploring Atlantic communities from earliest times to the 16th century. Included on this page because of his detailed treatment of the prehistoric Atlantic Fringe, which was the foundation of a distinctive cultural identity. An essential addition to any library.

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The Irish Sea Province in Archaeology and History / Ed Donald Moore

The history of cultural interchange between the communities on either side of the Irish Sea: the ‘Mediterranean of the West’.

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Iron Age Communities in Britain / Barry Cunliffe
Frequently updated since first publication in the 1960s. Barry Cunliffe remains one of the best late-20th century historians of the Iron Age and the preceding millennia.

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Riddles of the Stone Age / Jean McMann

One of the limited number of volumes devoted to the petroglyphs of ancient Europe.

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Stonehenge Decoded / Gerald Hawkins
Over-ingenious interpretation of astronomical alignments at Stonehenge. The hypothesis that Stonehenge was an ancient computer aroused a great deal of interest at the time of publication and stimulated an upsurge of research at other megalithic sites, much of which was driven by wishful thinking verging on delusion.

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The Stonehenge People / Aubrey Burl
Life and death at the world’s best known ancient monument by this prolific authority on megalithic sites. A calm appraisal of the evidence leads to some convincing conclusions which have been made the more plausible by the discovery, in 2006/07, of a major seasonal settlement in the vicinity of Durrington Walls.

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