Field archaeology combines the study of monuments and unaltered places. Both assumed a special significance during the prehistoric period. Taken together, they contribute to the recognition of ‘enchanted’ landscapes. The investigation of significant places is best developed where researchers can draw on historical or ethnographic sources. Studies of monumental structures follow similar methods to the classification of artefacts.
There is a third term to the equation. Are there cases in which unmodified features of the terrain were treated as if they were monuments? And were some of them eventually changed into works of architecture? How do archaeologists identify these places as special? Can fieldwork document that process? The lecture will trace some of these developments in the prehistory of Northern Britain, drawing on the results of recent excavations and surveys.
About the lecturer
I am Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at Reading University and Honorary Research Associate in the School of Archaeology at Oxford University. My research focuses on Neolithic and Bronze Age studies, although I have worked on other periods.
Recent publications include Insularity and Identity: Prehistoric Britian and the Archaeology of Europe; Monumental Times; Maritime Archaeology on Dry Land; Temporary Palaces: The Great House in European Prehistory; and The Prehistory of Britain and Ireland.
I have undertaken fieldwork in England, Scotland, Sweden and Spain.