The current conception of the absolute chronology of the Italian Copper Age to the end of the Early Iron Age is set out in this new title from the British Museum. Some 850 objects have been arranged chronologically from the Copper Age, through the Bronze Age, to the Early Iron Age. Within these headings, the objects are organised typologically e.g. axes, swords etc. A major result of this study has been the reassembly of several groups of bronzes probably originally from hoards. Each entry includes a description, bibliogrpahy and comparanda and line drawing or photgraph.

Written by the leading authority on the subject, the catalogue focuses on the entire non-numismatic contents of the Cuerdale hoard (discovered in 1840), together with all the other hoards and single-finds of gold and silver artefacts (ornaments and ingots) of Viking character in the British Museum, found in Britain and Ireland, up to the end of the year 2000, with each piece individually catalogued and illustrated. There is also a full chapter discussing the coins from Cuerdale, together with summary descriptions.