Review by Andrew Tibbs.
As a collection of maps covering almost every imaginable aspect of landscape-usage, from the Bronze Age to the early medieval period, this book covers many types of ancient landscape-use, including settlement, foodways, belief, mobility, defence, and material culture. Each chapter is split into sections with brief introductions, maps presenting the data, and occasional illustrations. Many of these have been compiled in conjunction with experts in their particular fields. The maps, drawn by one of the authors, are clear, beautifully presented, and are the standout feature of the volume. Importantly, many of them bring together information and datasets that have not previously been presented in a single map.
The book is certain to become a go- to reference guide for those working in archaeology and who need an overview of landscape information for particular periods. A must-have for cartophiles, it will also appeal to those with a broad interest in the periods covered. I hope the authors will consider producing future volumes covering the rest of the United Kingdom.
The Shaping of the English Landscape: an atlas of archaeology from the Bronze Age to Domesday Book, Chris Green and Miranda Creswell, Archaeopress, £35, ISBN 978-1803270609.
