The archaeology of South West Britain (Collins archaeology)

Collins, St. James's Place, London, 1981. Hard cover, 287 pp. Black and white illustrations throughout. Contents include: LIST OF PLATES; LIST OF FIGURES; INTRODUCTION; Figures in a Landscape; The Monument Builders; The Farming Community of Later Prehistory Roman Provincials; Continuity and Change, 400-900; Medieval Farmers and Townsmen; Wealth from the Land; RETROSPECT; GLOSSARY ; RADIO CARBON DATES; PLACES TO VISIT; BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX. [From front jacket flap] Scattered across Britain's south-western peninsula are a rich variety of monuments-Neolithic tombs, stone circles, prehistoric enclosures and settlements, churches and carved stones, bridges and mine houses which fascinate curious laymen and professional archaeologists alike. In her new book Susan Pearce shows how these remains can be interpreted to give us a coherent picture of human life in the south west over the last six thousand years. She traces the activities of Old and Middle Stone Age hunters in the world which finally emerged from the Ice Age, and describes how corm-growing and cattle- grazing farmers then settled in the peninsula, erecting their imposing tombs and mysterious stone alignments. She examines the farming communities of later prehistory, whose land boundary systems in areas like Dartmoor are only now being unravelled. She considers the impact of the Roman empire, and of its religion, Christianity, upon the peninsula's inhabitants; and looks in some detail at the intriguing history of the south west's villages, hamlets and towns. Finally she gives an account of the crucial role played by the mineral-rich peninsula in Britain's Industrial Revolution. This is the first attempt to tell the whole story of man in the south west, and much of the material presented here is new. With its highly illustrated text, useful bibliography and glossary, and information on places to visit, Susan Pearce's book provides an invaluable introduction to south west Britain and its past.