The definitive guide to the stone circles of Britain and Ireland &nbsp; From Stonehenge and the Ring of Brogdar to the Rollright Stones and Avebury, the British and Irish Isles are scattered with the stone circles of our prehistoric ancestors. Although there have been many theories to explain them, to this day there is no consensus about their purpose. &nbsp; Colin Richards and Vicki Cummings provide a clear and illuminating field guide to 424 key stone circle sites in Britain and Ireland. Organised by region, this handy volume sets out the features of these megalithic monuments, including their landscape position, construction, and physical properties. The authors take stock of cutting-edge research and recent excavations stone circles that were previously lost to time. They present new insights on the chronology, composition, and roles of different circles to transform our understanding the sites. &nbsp; Beautifully illustrated with photographs, maps, and plans, this is an essential guide to Britain and Ireland's most mysterious prehistoric monuments.

Stone Circles: A Field Guide

History

RICHARDS, Colin

Cummings, Vicki

Europe

Yale University Press

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland (Routledge Archaeology of Northern Europe)

Politics & Social Sciences

Archaeology

Routledge

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland provides a synthesis of this dynamic period of prehistory from the end of the Mesolithic through to the early Beaker period. Drawing on new excavations and the application of new scientific approaches to data from this period, this book considers both life and death in the Neolithic. It offers a clear and concise introduction to this period but with an emphasis on the wider and on-going research questions. It is an important text for students new to the study of this period of prehistory as well as acting as a reference for students and scholars already researching this area.   The book begins by considering the Mesolithic prelude, specifically the millennium prior to the start of the Neolithic in Britain and Ireland. It then goes on to consider what life was like for people at the time, alongside the monumental record and how people treated the dead. This is presented chronologically, with separate chapters on the early Neolithic, middle Neolithic, late Neolithic and early Beaker periods. Finally it considers future research priorities for the study of the Neolithic.

Ancient Civilizations

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland provides a synthesis of this dynamic period of prehistory from the end of the Mesolithic through to the early Beaker period. Drawing on new excavations and the application of new scientific approaches to data from this period, this book considers both life and death in the Neolithic. It offers a clear and concise introduction to this period but with an emphasis on the wider and on-going research questions. It is an important text for students new to the study of this period of prehistory as well as acting as a reference for students and scholars already researching this area. The book begins by considering the Mesolithic prelude, specifically the millennium prior to the start of the Neolithic in Britain and Ireland. It then goes on to consider what life was like for people at the time, alongside the monumental record and how people treated the dead. This is presented chronologically, with separate chapters on the early Neolithic, middle Neolithic, late Neolithic and early Beaker periods. Finally it considers future research priorities for the study of the Neolithic.

This book provides a basic introduction to key debates in the study of hunter-gatherers, specifically from an anthropological perspective, but designed for an archaeological audience. Hunter-gatherers have been the focus of intense anthropological research and discussion over the last hundred years, and as such there is an enormous literature on communities all over the world. Yet, among the diverse range of peoples studied, there are a number of recurrent themes, including not only the way in which people make a living (hunting, gathering and fishing) but also striking similarities in other areas of life such as belief systems and social organisation. These themes are described and then explored through archaeological case-studies. The overarching theme throughout the volume is the use of ethnographic analogy, and how archaeologists should be critical in its use.

The Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers: Key Themes for Archaeologists (Debates in Archaeology)

Americas

This book provides a basic introduction to key debates in the study of hunter-gatherers, specifically from an anthropological perspective, but designed for an archaeological audience. Hunter-gatherers have been the focus of intense anthropological research and discussion over the last hundred years, and as such there is an enormous literature on communities all over the world. Yet, among the diverse range of peoples studied, there are a number of recurrent themes, including not only the way in which people make a living (hunting, gathering and fishing) but also striking similarities in other areas of life such as belief systems and social organisation. These themes are described and then explored through archaeological case-studies. The overarching theme throughout the volume is the use of ethnographic analogy, and how archaeologists should be critical in its use.

Bloomsbury USA Academic

These nine papers are derived from the fourth meeting of the `U.K. Chapter of Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology' held at Cardiff, 1999. Contents: Preface (Caitlin Buck) ; The sigillographic database: easier artefact analysis (Eric Cooper) ; Landscapes in Motion: interactive computer imagery and Neolithic landscapes of the Outer Hebrides (Vicky Cummings) ; BCal: the development of an interactive Internet application (G N James) ; An approach for integrating multisensory data: Sesklo and the Teleorman Valley (Steve Mills) ; Developing an archaeology soapbox and marketplace on the WWW (Leonel Morgado & Mila Simoes de Abreu) ; A numismatic database with icon and string-searching features (Leonel Morgado and Mário Guedes) ; Electronic drawing or manual drawing? Experiences from work with rock-paintings (Emma Jane Read & Christopher Chippindale) ; Exploring archaeometric data using projection pursuit methodology (S Westwood & M J Baxter) ; Beyond significant patterns towards past intentions: the location of Orcadian chambered tombs

U.K. Chapter of Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (BAR International)

Computers & Technology

MILLS, Steve

Buck, Caitlin

Henley, Cole

Networking & Cloud Computing

British Archaeological Reports

At the heart of this study are the early Neolithic chambered tombs of the Irish Sea zone, defined as west Wales, the west coast of northern Britain, coastal south and western Scotland, the western isles and the Isle of Man, and the eastern coast of Ireland. In order to understand these monuments, there must be a broader consideration of their landscape settings. The landscape setting of the chambered tombs is considered in detail, both overall and through a number of specific case studies, incorporating a much wider area than has been previously considered. Cummings investigates the background against which the Neolithic began in the Irish Sea zone and what led to the adoption of Neolithic practices, such as the construction of monuments. Following on from this, she considers what the chambered tombs and landscape can add to our understanding of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition. This volume aims to incorporate landscape analysis into a broader understanding of the Neolithic sequence in this area and beyond. It will provide an introduction to the Mesolithic and Neolithic of the Irish Sea zone, as well as a summary of previous work on this subject. It also offers a starting point for future research and a better understanding of this area.

A View from the West: The Neolithic of the Irish Sea Zone

Oxbow Books

Product Description 
In this book we offer an exciting new perspective on a distinctive form of megalithic monument that is found across most areas of northern Europe. In order to achieve this we have abandoned outmoded typological classifications and reintroduced the term ‘dolmen’ to embrace a range of sites that share a common form of megalithic architecture: the elevation and display of a substantial stone. By critically assessing the traditionally assigned role of these monuments and their architecture as megalithic tombs, the presence of the dead is reassessed and argued to form part of a process generating vibrancy to the materiality of the dolmen. As such this book argues that the megalithic architecture identified as a dolmen is not a chambered tomb at all but instead is a qualitatively different form of monument. We also provide an entirely different conception of the utility of this extraordinary megalithic architecture – one that seeks to emphasize its building as articulating discourses of wonder as a broad social strategy. In this respect it is important to remember that many of these monuments were erected very early in the Neolithic and as a consequence of new people entering new lands, or social transformation. In short, dolmens are monumental constructions employing experimental and emergent technologies to raise huge stones, which, once built, enchant those who come within their spaces. Our claim is that dolmens were megalithic installations of affect, magical and extraordinary in construction and strategically positioned to induce both drama and awe in their encounter.\nTable of Contents\nAcknowledgments 
List of figures 
1. The enchantment of megalithic architecture: revisiting the dolmens of northern Europe 
2. An aesthetic of megalithic construction: dolmens as installations of display 
3. Becoming a capstone: differentiating stones and cup-marking in anticipation of dolmen construction 
4. Raising dolmens 
in-situ: 
 the deployment of enchanting technologies 
5. Megalithic affect and effect: encountering dolmens in northern European landscapes 
6. The living dolmen: flesh, stone and the flow and exchange of vital substances 
7. A monumental catastrophe: investigating the collapsed dolmens at Garn Turne, south-west Wales 
8. Wondrous places: dolmens and discourses of wonder in the early Neolithic of Britain and Ireland 
Appendices 
 About the Author 
Vicki Cummings is Reader in Archaeology in the School of Forensic and Applied Sciences, University of Central Lancashire where she specialises in the Mesolithic and Neolithic of Britain and Ireland, with a particular focus on monuments and landscape. She has a broader interest in hunting and gathering populations, interpretive archaeology and stone tools.\nColin Richards is Professor of World Prehistory in the Deaprtment of Archaeology at the University of Manchester where he mainly specialises in Neolithic archaeology, architecture and monumentality and ethnoarchaeology, with specific interests in Orkney and Easter Island.

Monuments in the Making: Raising the Great Dolmens in Early Neolithic Northern Europe

Windgather Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cummings, Vicki. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Cummings, Vicki

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cummings, Vicki. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Stone Circles: A Field Guide

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland (Routledge Archaeology of Northern Europe)

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland (Routledge Archaeology of Northern Europe)

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland (Routledge Archaeology of Northern Europe)

The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland (Routledge Archaeology of Northern Europe)

The Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers: Key Themes for Archaeologists (Debates in Archaeology)

The Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers: Key Themes for Archaeologists (Debates in Archaeology)

U.K. Chapter of Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (BAR International)

A View from the West: The Neolithic of the Irish Sea Zone

Monuments in the Making: Raising the Great Dolmens in Early Neolithic Northern Europe