Prehistoric Wales [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Frances Lynch (Author), Stephen Aldhouse-Green (Author), Jeffrey L. Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000 | ISBN-10: 075092165X | ISBN-13: 978-0750921657 | Edition: illustrated edition

A title which aims to give the reader a modern and authoratative summary of research interpretations on prehistoric monuments, sites and artefacts. This book should be of interest to anyone who has a serious interest in Welsh history and in early settlement and society in the British Isles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd; illustrated edition edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075092165X
• ISBN-13: 978-0750921657
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,329,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great review of the sweep of Welsh prehistory, November 19, 2005

By 

S. Crane "Kiwi Guy" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prehistoric Wales (Hardcover)

Wales abounds with evidence of its prehistoric past: standing stones, chambered tombs and hillforts.This book draws on all the latest research and interpretations.The books covers the Palaeolithic and Neanderthals a quarter million years ago. Then on to the shift from hunter-gatherer to a farming economy in the Neolithic, throwing new light on social and technological developments. The book ends with the advent of a new era when the Celtic iron age tribes were conquered by the Roman army 2000 years ago.

Each chapter has the same basic structure so themes can be traced through the periods. They cover climate, vegetation, population, settlement, communications, artifacts, burial and religious monuments, death and religion, hillforts,and society. For most non-student readers it will be the descriptions of the physical remains that you can see in the counryside that will be of the most interest. There are maps of the distribution of stone circles and hillforts, and diagrams and photos of the sorts of remains you can expect to see. There are 75 diagrams and 35 colour photos, so its a well illustrated book in the usual Sutton publishing style. Welsh prehistory is set in the British and European context.

The book is primarily one for students of prehistory. Hence the bibliography ( list of references) is one long list. It would have been more useful to break it up by chapter, with maybe the "easy" further reading sources given first. The book would also have benefited from a list of sites open to the public, and where they are with directions to get to them. For that you will need to go to other books available on general British archaeological sites eg Janet Bord "Guide to ancient sites in Britain" or Jacquetta Hawkes "The Shell guide to British archaeology", both available on Amazon second hand.