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This is the third edition of a book which first appeared in 1999 and was first revised ten years later. Much has happened since then, and even the editors have changed. The new book is a collaboration between a prehistorian and a historical archaeologist, and it contains 20 chapters by a team of exceptionally well-qualified authors. It certainly lives up to its title. The separate contributions extend from the Palaeolithic period to what John Schofield calls the ‘Plastic Age’. It begins with a helpful introduction, which summarises recent developments in archaeology and explains why it was necessary to bring the story up to date. It concludes with an essay on the heritage environment written by the late Tim Darvill. It must be one of his last and most-thoughtful publications. There is little overlap between the separate chapters, which are arranged in chronological order, but the Roman period is divided between accounts of its military and civil archaeology, and there are separate contributions on medieval monumental buildings, towns, and landscapes. The final chapters are less dependent on archaeological evidence and draw on current thinking in economic and social history.
It must have been difficult to assemble new information in such a short space, but the authors achieve this admirably. That is remarkable, as several of them have written entire books on the same topics. These succinct reviews are readable and up to date, and are supported by carefully chosen bibliographies. Of course, some of the contributors needed to discuss much more material than others – the Palaeolithic period must have presented a special challenge – but none of the chapters is weighed down by too much detail. For the most part, their authors avoid using technical language. Several bring together the results of numerous different projects with apparent ease. They include first-class chapters on the pre Roman Iron Age, early medieval Celtic Britain, and the landscapes of the Middle Ages. The only element that does get in the way is an emphasis – occasionally an over-emphasis – on pottery. It is better suited to specialist readers, and those who require this detail will be able to consult the references in the text. In every other respect, the book should command a large audience.
Every chapter includes a map showing the places discussed. They share a common format. This is helpful, but it does raise a problem. They emphasise the island of Britain but depict its western neighbour in light tone as if it were sinking beneath the waves. Ireland might have been unoccupied during the Palaeolithic period, but it is vital to any understanding of British archaeology during later phases. Separate chapters refer to its importance during the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and early medieval periods. I know from experience that combining Britain and Ireland in a single book isn’t easy. I can see why The Archaeology of Britain stuck to its geographical remit – otherwise it would be much longer than its 479 pages. Unfortunately, this geographical restriction is a side effect of political history and, during some phases, it makes it unnecessarily difficult to compose a coherent narrative.
Last, there are problems with some of the illustrations, which have been reproduced badly and are often too dark. As a result, a few are completely uninformative. The authors are not to blame as the original sources were perfectly adequate (a number of them have been published before). The same complaint has been made about other books recently issued by Routledge, and the lesson should have been learnt by now. It is a pity that poor production weakens the impact of such a worthwhile book.
REVIEW BY RICHARD BRADLEY
The Archaeology of Britain: an introduction from earliest times to the twenty-first century
Vicki Cummings and Stephen T Driscoll (eds)
Routledge, £41.99
ISBN 978-1138334168
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