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REVIEW BY ALISTAIR BARCLAY
This is the latest in a series of accessible and well-illustrated books by the author on the development of British Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery. In it, he shares his fascination for the subject in a readable, up-to-date and autobiographical account that reflects a lifetime spent researching prehistoric ceramics. The first chapter considers who made these vessels and how they did so, introducing the reader to the study of ceramic technology, petrology, and experimental archaeology. The bulk of the book, six chapters, traces the development of ceramic styles from the early to middle Neolithic bowls, the Grooved Ware jars and tubs of the later Neolithic with their origins in Orkney, the Beakers of Continental provenance, and the urns of the Bronze Age. The ‘ceramic art’, or artistic expression, that the subtitle alludes to features throughout and in the discussion of various decorative styles, motifs, and techniques. It is a reminder that, whatever role pottery served, it was more than just a functional craft. A postscript outlines, among other things, how the application of science is changing our perspective. Gibson provides the perfect introduction to prehistoric ceramics.
British Pottery: The first 3,000 years - Ceramic Art in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
Alex Gibson
Oxbow Books (£39.95)
ISBN 979-8888570715
