Avebury remains one of the most spectacular and enigmatic prehistoric monuments in Europe. Constructed in several stages during the course of the third millennium BC, the massive earthwork enclosure and stone settings have had a complex history; one which has included later episodes of avoidance, neglect and deliberate destruction, through to more recent antiquarian and archaeological "re-discovery," investigation and preservation. Incorporating evidence from recent research and guided by current themes within interpretative archaeology, this book provides an authoritative and comprehensive...

Informed by the latest research and in-depth analysis, Prehistoric Britain provides students and scholars alike with a fascinating overview of the development of human societies in Britain from the Upper Paleolithic to the end of the Iron Age.

• Offers readers an incisive synthesis and much-needed overview of current research themes
  
• Includes essays from leading scholars and professionals who address the very latest trends in current research
  
• Explores the interpretive debates surrounding major transitions in British...

A new generation of archaeologists has thrown down a challenge to post-processual theory, arguing that characterizing material symbols as arbitrary overlooks the material character and significance of artifacts. This volume showcases the significant departure from previous symbolic approaches that is underway in the discipline. It brings together key scholars advancing a variety of cutting edge approaches, each emphasizing an understanding of artifacts and materials not in terms of symbols but relationally, as a set of associations that compose people's understanding of the world. Authors...