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This volume, the Neolithic Studies Group Seminar Papers 9, continues the development of a regionalised model of the Neolithic in the British Isles, one reflecting evidence away from the traditional 'core' areas of Wessex and Orkney. Interpretations here reflect an element of local contingency. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

an excellent reference
Just what it says on the box - an excellent reference, whether planning your trip or on the road.Complete with location maps and National Grid references.

a great work made better
Aubrey Burl's previous works were showing a wee bit of dating.As carbon dating become more accurate, you are seeing these ancient rings grow older in age instead of younger as they anticipated.While Burl's previous works were amazing, this long awaited "update" of this information, as well as addition information on more recent excavations make this is must.Yes, it expensive.But it's worth every penny.There are new insight in the the purpose of the rings of stone, a new interpretation of Calanais (sorry, as a Scot I refuse to call it Callanish!) and Stonehenge

The beautiful book is loaded with hundreds of photos, explores the ancestry, methods of construction and why they were abandoned after thousands of years of use.

Marvelous work made even better by bringing the information up to date.

Fine Scholarship, Fine Writing
I am not accustomed to purchasing so expensive and specialized a book, but in the early autumn of 1979, I had the privilege of working on a Scottish dig run by Dr. Burl, and I have long admired his scholarship and dedication---and this revision is, simply put, GREAT! The depth of information is astounding, and I found the the presentation engrossing, the subject fascinating, and the style quite readable---certainly NOT only for students or devotees of archaeology. I can't recommend this one highly enough---it may seem like something of an indulgence for your personal library, but it's worth every penny. Alas, the book is far to heavy to carry about in one's luggage, but I've already marked at least two dozen sites that I want to visit the next time I cross the Atlantic. In the meantime, settle back in a comfortable chair and get ready to cast your mind back a couple of millenia...

An essential resource
I recently returned from a vacation over in Ireland/Scotland/Wales where for 4 weeks I and 2 of my friends researched and visited stone circles throughout the Isles. Aubrey Burl definitely has written an essential resource you should pick up if you have the intentions of going to see them. He touches on a great number of "out of the way" stone circles not widely known in areas and gives precise directions on how to get to them. It is almost like a treasure hunt, you never knwo what is around the corner in Aubrey's book! A definite must get for the stone circle enthusiast. Don't even think about putting this book down. Get a map, get this book, and go hunting for these great spiritual centers.

This guide was our companion when roaming Dartmoor last June
My husband and I are very interested in ancient cultures and especially stone circles; this book told us where they were, what to expect to see,and how to get there (which wasn't always very easy!) We were able to pickan area of England with a heavy concentration of good quality circles basedon his descriptions and pictures, and with book in hand, see many of theones we chose. Mr. Burl is kind enough to mention when the going is tough,and he was always right. The only thing that could make this book any moreinvaluable as a field guide would be inclusion of Surveyor's Maps of theareas...but those can be purchased easily in the countries in question.(Color photos would've been nice, too!) Highly recommended for realtrip-planning, or just for inspiration! ... Read more

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Once upon a time all of the legends of Fin MacCool were written down for posterity; Saint Patrick, however, ordered two-thirds of them destroyed so that the people of Erin would do more than simply listen to them. Fortunately, many Fenian tales survive, and this captivating collection features 24 tales of superhuman heroes and their adventures. Compiled by a 19th-century ethnographer from the Smithsonian Institution, this volume abounds in fantastic accounts of bold warriors who battle dragons and giants, outwit sorcerers, and overcome death itself.
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Chapters: Ringfort. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 67. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Ringforts are fortified settlements that are generally deemed to be from the Iron Age, Early Christian or possibly the Early Medieval period in Northern Europe, especially Ireland. In Irish language sources they are known by a number of names: ráth (angligised rath), lios (anglicised lis), caiseal (anglicised cashel), cathair (anglicised caher) and dún (anglicised dun). The ráth and lios was an earthen ring-fort; the ráth being the enclosing bank and the lios being the open space within. The caiseal and cathair was a stone ring-fort. The term dún was usually used for any stronghold of importance, which may or may not be ring-shaped. In terms of quantity, distribution and access, no historical or archaeological record of the Early Medieval Period in Ireland comes close to the ringfort. Over 45,000 sites have been identified as ringforts throughout Ireland and it is generally accepted that in the region of 60,000 ringfort sites can be identified. It is probable that due to intensive farming methods, the levelling of field and expansion of urban areas than many more were originally built but have been lost to us today, but through the use of early Ordnance Survey maps and aerial photography many previously unknown ringforts have been discovered. Also, the extensive archaeological work that has accompanied the large road-building programs in Ireland have uncovered many unknown "fairy forts" and will probably continue to do so. Despite regional variations in the density of ringforts particularly in the areas of Meath and traditional Leinster where there are comparatively few ringforts, they are generally a feature common throughout the country, with a mean density of just over one ringfort within a...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=488753 ... Read more

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This is a guide to the archaeology of the British Isles, from the Ice Age to the medieval period. Beginning with an introduction to the methods and techniques of modern archaeology, the author moves on to cover the archaeology of the British Isles, dealing with such questions as: when the British Isles were first inhabited; how the great Neolithic monuments were planned and built; and the impact of the Roman Conquest. The guide is completed by a detailed gazetteer of 468 sites that can be visited. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Archaeology in Oceania, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 3588 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Starch residues on undecorated Lapita pottery from Anir, New Ireland.
Author: Alison Crowther
Publication: Archaeology in Oceania (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40Issue: 2Page: 62(5)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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As McEwan argues, the past is well suited to manipulation and can be used to uphold particular ideologies, for example those dictated by the state. This discussion of the development of archaeology in Ireland in the 19th century places it within an intellectual and historical context to determine the inherent and external factors at work in directing and influencing its progress. With Foucault as the starting point, McEwan assesses a range of important ideological concepts, including romanticism, nationalism, imperialism and individualism, and asks whetehr archaeology and those individuals within it chose to embrace or resist them. Concluding that Ireland's past is both complex and contradictory, she reaffirms that Irish archaeology of the 19th century `was essentially contrived to serve the people rather than always upholding the power structure'. ... Read more

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In battle at Culloden Moor on 16 April 1746 the Jacobite cause was dealt a mortal blow. The power of the Highland clans was broken. And the image of sword-wielding Highlanders charging into a hail of lead delivered by the red-coated battalions of the Hanoverian army has passed into legend. The battle was decisive - it was a turning point in British history. And yet our perception of this critical episode tends to be confused by mistaken, sometimes partisan views of the events on the battlefield. So, what really happened at Culloden? In this fascinating and original book, a team of leading historians and archaeologists reconsiders every aspect of the battle. They examine the latest historical and archaeological evidence, question every assumption, and rewrite the story of the campaign in vivid detail. This is the first time that such a distinguished team of experts has focused on a single British battle. The result is a seminal study of the subject, and it is a landmark publication of battlefield archaeology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Culloden
This book has different chapters by several different authors. Very informative about the battle of Culloden ... Read more

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Secret Sights describes the elements that made up ancient Ireland, both in Celtic and pre-Celtic times, and re-constructs its customs, rituals and beliefs. Such well-known sites, the ones with all the tourist infrastructure in place, are of course covered but Secret Sights goes way beyond the obvious. The less well-known locations are not so easily tamed, in their primal and often broken state. But in that condition of nature, they are accessible to our senses and our imagination in a way that sometimes allows uninterrupted experience and personal interpretation. Robert Vance demonstrates, through pictures and description, that many of these spaces exist in Ireland, metaphorical gaps in time and space where mythology and imagination combine to repair the temporal gap of twenty centuries. The book begins with a general introduction and then examines the various ancient sites on a county-by-county basis. Many ancient places remain undisturbed and relatively unexcavated.These enigmatic sites, some early Christian and many pagan, often in remote parts of the countryside, retain what a religious person would describe as 'presence', that indefinable sense of recent habitation by something extra-sensory. The texts are complemented by the author's own stunning photography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How The Middle Ages formed Ireland oftoday.
Irish history is about as complicated as history can get.Vance deals with the period between 500 and 1500 AD.From the people who inhabited the island from the 500's we follow the changes that took place as a result of invasions,internal warring,spread of Christianity,colonialization by England and Spain,etc.
Medieval Ireland was where the violent aftermath of the Reformation,the struggle between Catholic Spain and Protestant England,was played out.By attempting to become a vassal state of Spain,Europe's superpower and champion of Catholicism,Ireland became England's Cuba,an offshore island being secretely armed by a dangerous enemy.
This book shows how the spirit of a people only becomes prouder and more determined to survive and flourish,no matter how much they are oppressed.
Every aspect of life is dwelt with and the author shows how these things changed Ireland and made it what it is today.
Although this is a very difficult subject,the author manages to simplify it as much as possible and make it a reasonable easy read.The book is profusely illustrated with excellent color photographs, spectacular black and white drawings,maps and what appear to be excellent wood engravings.A first class Index and a Bibilography that will bedazzle any reader with an interest in Medieval history ... Read more