New Global Perspectives on Archaeological Prospection

New Global Perspectives on Archaeological Prospection PDF

Author: James Bonsall

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd

Published: 2019-09-02

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 1789693071

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This volume presents over 90 papers from the 13th International Conference on Archaeological Prospection 2019, Sligo. Papers address archaeological prospection techniques, methodologies and case studies from 33 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America, reflecting current and global trends in archaeological prospection.

The Archaeology of Darkness

The Archaeology of Darkness PDF

Author: Marion Dowd

Publisher: Oxbow Books

Published: 2016-05-31

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 1785701924

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Through time people have lived with darkness. Archaeology shows us that over the whole human journey people have sought out dark places, for burials, for votive deposition and sometimes for retreat or religious ritual away from the wider community. Thirteen papers explore Palaeolithic use of deep caves in Europe and the orientation of mortuary monuments in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. It examines how the senses are affected in caves and monuments that were used for ritual activities, from Bronze Age miners in Wales working in dangerous subterranean settings, to initiands in Italian caves, to a modern caver’s experience of spending time in the one of the world’s deepest caves in Russia. We see how darkness was and is viewed at northern latitudes where parts of the year are spent in eternal night, and in Easter Island where darkness provided communal refuge from the pervasive sun. We know that spending extended periods in darkness and silence can affect one physically, emotionally and spiritually. How did interactions between people and darkness affect individuals in the past and how were regarded by their communities? And how did this interaction transform places in the landscape? As the ever-increasing electrification of the planet steadily minimizes the amount of darkness in our lives, curiously, darkness is coming more into focus. This first collection of papers on the subject begins a conversation about the role of darkness in human experience through time.

Orientation of Prehistoric Monuments in Britain: A Reassessment

Orientation of Prehistoric Monuments in Britain: A Reassessment PDF

Author: Alistair Marshall

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd

Published: 2021-07-08

Total Pages: 704

ISBN-13: 1789697069

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Reassesses major axial alignment at many megalithic ritual and funerary monuments (Neolithic to Bronze Age) in Britain and Ireland, not in terms of abstract astronomical concerns, but as an expression of repeated seasonal propitiation involving community, agrarian economy and ancestry in an attempt to mitigate variable environmental conditions.

A History of Settlement in Ireland

A History of Settlement in Ireland PDF

Author: Terry Barry

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-11-12

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1134674635

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

A History of Settlement in Ireland provides a stimulating and thought-provoking overview of the settlement history of Ireland from prehistory to the present day. Particular attention is paid to the issues of settlement change and distribution within the contexts of: * environment * demography * culture. The collection goes further by setting the agenda for future research in this rapidly expanding area of academic interest. This volume will be essential reading for all those with an interest in the archaeology, history and social geography of Ireland.

First Light

First Light PDF

Author: Robert Hensey

Publisher: Oxbow Books

Published: 2015-06-30

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1782979522

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Newgrange in Ireland is a world famous monument not only because of its vast scale and elaborate megalithic art, but also because of its renowned alignment to the sun on the winter solstice. Yet the origins of Newgrange remain somewhat mysterious. Across Ireland over two hundred similar passage tombs are found, some of which are considerably older than Newgrange. These less investigated monuments reveal that the origins of Newgrange may be hidden in plain sight. A progression in the scale and sophistication of construction of these passage tombs, developments in the styles of megalithic art, and an increase in the scale and craftsmanship of associated artefacts may be observed, which taken together indicate a lengthy process of development. In short, Robert Hensey uncovers an untold history at Newgrange; an island-wide story of incremental changes over hundreds of years, of a society in evolution, perhaps in extremis, who left behind such a rich, enigmatic and patterned legacy. This book not only charts the earlier history of Newgrange, but addresses why it was constructed, what was its purpose. In the Boyne Valley, through Newgrange and related sites at Brœ na B—inne, we have evidence not only of extraordinary physical accomplishments, but of tremendous acts of imagination; a testament to rich and developed inner worlds. In this book, it is proposed that the concept of an otherworld which could be embodied by and accessed through passage tombs was a central motivator in passage tomb construction from its earliest beginnings. Newgrange is at the end of a long tradition of monuments dedicated to the religious needs of Neolithic communities, from small-scale monuments built by early farming groups; to potent otherworld centres of ritual training at the edge of society; eventually to temple-like monuments standing at the very heart of the religious and political sphere in Neolithic Ireland. Challenging both orthodox archaeological opinions and popular conjecture, this will be an important book for anyone interested in Neolithic archaeology.

Enclosures in Neolithic Europe

Enclosures in Neolithic Europe PDF

Author: G. Varndell

Publisher:

Published: 2002-01-01

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 1785705237

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

These papers come from a conference on Neolithic Causewayed Enclosures in Europe held in London in 1999. They present a series of snapshots of some of the sites and regions at the forefront of current research on causewayed enclosures in Europe, and as such are a complement to the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) project which has systematically recorded all known Neolithic enclosures in England by both analytical topographic survey techniques and aerial transcription. The detailed regional data collected by the RCHME project has allowed a radical reinterpretation of these sites and the recognition that there are regional groups of enclosures. This series of papers serves to broaden the discussion about the structure and form of causewayed monuments beyond lowland England, looking at a wide geographical range of sites across central Europe, as well as considering some sites which do not conform to the traditional type but which have been proved by excavation to have a Neolithic context. This collection of papers provides a long-awaited and important addition to the debate on these enigmatic prehistoric sites. Contents: Neolithic Enclosures of Scandinavia (Niels H Anderson) ; The Causewayed Enclosures of West-Central France from the beginning of the Fourth to the End of the Third Millennium (Claude Burnez and Catherine Louboutin) ; Le Mourral, Trèbes (Aude) and the Final Neolithic Circular Enclosures of the Languedoc (Jean Vaquer) ; The Late Neolithic Settlement of La Hersonnais, Pléchatel in its Regional Context (Jean-Yves Tinevez) ; The Neolithic Ditched Enclosures of the Tavoliere, South-East Italy (Robin Skeates) ; An Interrupted Ditch Alignment at Rivoli, Italy, in the Context of Neolithic Interrupted Ditch/Pit Systems (Lawrence Barfield) ; Aerial Survey and Neolithic Enclosures in Central Europe (Otto Braasch) ; From Lilliput to Brobdingnag: The Traditions of Enclosure in the Irish Neolithic (Gabriel Cooney) ; Billown Neolithic Enclosures, Isle of Man (Timothy Darvill) ; Lithic Artefacts from Neolithic Causewayed Enclosures: Character and Meaning (Alan Saville) ; A Causewayed Enclosure at Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire (Adrian Butler, Patrick Clay and John Thomas) ; The Howe Robin Story: An Unusual Enclosure on Crosby Ravensworth Fell (Moraig Brown) ; The Seventieth Causewayed Enclosure in the British Isles? (Peter D Horne, David MacLeod and Alastair Oswald) ; Rethinking the Carrock Fell Enclosure (Trevor Pearson and Peter Topping) .

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology PDF

Author: Timothy Darvill

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-08-19

Total Pages: 576

ISBN-13: 0192526669

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This expansive dictionary contains over 4,500 entries covering the essential vocabulary for everyday archaeological work in the English language, from about 3 million years ago down to about AD 1700. There is coverage of principles, theories, techniques, artefacts, materials, people, places, monuments, equipment, and descriptive terms - from amphora to ziggurat, and Beaker Culture to molluscan analysis. Now in its third edition, this in-depth A-Z has been updated with over 100 new entries, including actor-network theory, Alfred Marshall Cubbon, Dadiwan Culture, Amelia Edwards, Shangshan Culture, and Thera Eruption. This dictionary covers key archaeological sites around the world, with special focus placed on Europe, the Old World, and the Americas. In addition, the coverage of Near East and Asia has been expanded for this edition. Most entries are fully cross-referenced and it also includes a selection of eleven useful appendices. Written by a leading authority, the dictionary's detailed but clear entries provide an essential reference source for students, teachers, professionals, and enthusiasts alike.