Review by KK.
This thought-provoking book reimagines how we approach maritime archaeology – demonstrating that it is not solely for the adventurous diver but can, and should, be practised from the comfort of dry land. Specifically, by examining all of the archaeological evidence available – from rock art and artefacts, to burial practices and monuments, to geographical and scientific connections – Bradley extrapolates the many ways in which prehistoric people may have used (or may not have used) the sea, while at the same time being refreshingly frank on the limitations of both the evidence and his interpretations of it.
Perhaps most poignantly Bradley has brought together many older reports – some almost a century old – which highlight coastal sites and important artefacts that have since been lost to either the sea or time. For this alone, the book is worth a read, as you discover many interesting sites that you may not have known of before.
Maritime Archaeology on Dry Land: special sites along the coasts of Britain and Ireland from the first farmers to the Atlantic Bronze Age
Richard Bradley
Oxbow Books, £35
ISBN 978-1789258196
