Book Description

Megalithic cairns, ancient earthworks, Bronze Age burial chambers, Stonehenge--these mysterious, awe-inspiring monuments in their remote British settings have long exercised a powerful hold on people's imagination. In this lavishly illustrated atlas, John Manley provides a beautiful and highly informative account of prehistoric British culture, revealing how the evidence of monuments, excavations and artefacts sheds light on the technological development, social organization, military exploits, and religious practices of these long-departed peoples. Ranging from 300,000 B.C. and the earliest indications of prehistoric culture, to the final Roman conquest in 43 A.D., and covering Wales, Scotland, and Ireland as well as England, Manley makes use of the latest research in archeaology to interpret Britain's prehistoric heritage for the nonspecialist reader. He describes the earliest bands who hunted artic fox, woolly rhinoceros, and mammoth and often lived in caves such as Picken's Hole in Somerset; the first farming communities dating back to 4000 B.C.; the construction of Stonehenge, which required thousands of workers to drag huge sandstone blocks across the countryside; and the hill-top settlements, or hillforts, and the warrior-chiefs who ruled them. The maps, site plans and reconstruction drawings have been specially commissioned to combine clarity with an attractive style, and they are closely integrated with Manley's text. The photographs are particularly striking; they capture the magic and haunting presence of the past. Beautifully illustrated, vividly narrated, and completely up to date, The Atlas interprets and celebrates Britain's amazingly rich prehistoric heritage. It will enthrall anyone fascinated by ancient ruins, Stonehenge, and the mysteries of the past.