Ancient Britain

This book is for anyone starting out to understand the prehistoric life of Britain from the first human occupation 450,000 years ago, until the Roman conquest in AD 43. James Dyer here succeeds in bringing to life a thriving picture of the people and customs of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, based on the sometimes sparse clues presented by prehistoric archaeological sites across Britain. For many readers, Ancient Britain will provide the first chance to get to grips with the present state of our knowledge of prehistoric agriculture, settlement, trade and ritual. The rise of power, with the development of a class system at the hands of the first metal users, is charted through to the growth of wealth and the emergence of a warlike and advanced Iron Age society - a society that was nonetheless unable to withstand the might of Rome. With over 130 illustrations and photographs, including a number of specially drawn reconstructions, this highly visual book is an ideal primer for all students of prehistory and all those who are simply interested in the subject.

List of Illustrations, Acknowledgements, A Note on Dating, Introduction, 1 In the Beginning, 2 Agriculturalists and Monument Builders, 3 The Cult of the Dead, 4 The Growth of Ceremonial, 5 The Beaker Users, 6 Into the Bronze Age, 7 The First Millennium BC, 8 The Spread of Hillforts, 9 Burials, Society and the End of Prehistoric Britain, Select Bibliography, Glossary, Index