The idea of prehistory dates from the 19th century and sometimes seems to be a relic of the colonial era, but Richard Bradley contends that it is still a vital area for research. His claim is based on the argument that it is only through a combination of oral tradition and the experience of encountering ancient material culture that people were able to formulate a sense of their own pasts without written records. In effect, they were forced to become archaeologists themselves. The Past in Prehistoric Societies applies this argument to the archaeology of Europe, presenting a series of case...

The idea of prehistory dates from the nineteenth century, but Richard Bradley contends that it is still a vital area for research. He argues that it is only through a combination of oral tradition and the experience of encountering ancient material culture that people were able to formulate a sense of their own pasts without written records.
The Past in Prehistoric Societies presents case studies which extend from the Palaeolithic to the early Middle Ages and from the Alps to Scandinavia. It examines how archaeologists might study the origin of myths and the different ways in...