Paul Frodsham - Böcker

A history of Yeavering.

These papers highlight recent archaeological work in Northern England, in the commercial, academic and community archaeology sectors, which have fundamentally changed our perspective on the Neolithic of the area. Much of this was new work (and much is still not published) and has been overlooked in the national discourse. The papers cover a wide geographical area, from Lancashire north into the Scottish Lowlands, recognising the irrelevance of the England/Scotland Border. They also take a broad chronological sweep, from the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition to the introduction of Beakers into the area.  The key themes are: the nature of transition; the need for a much-improved chronological framework; regional variation linked to landscape character; links within northern England and with distant places; the implications of new dating for our understanding of the axe trade; the changing nature of settlement and agriculture; the character of early Neolithic enclosures; and the need to integrate rock art into wider discourse.

Presented to Stan Beckensall on his 90th birthday, this diverse and stimulating collection of papers celebrates his crucial contribution to rock art studies, and also looks to the future. It should be of value to students of prehistoric Britain and Ireland, and anyone with an interest in rock art, for many decades to come.Stan has done a phenomenal amount of work over recent decades, on an entirely amateur basis, discovering, recording and interpreting Atlantic rock art (‘cup-and-ring marks’) in his home county of Northumberland and elsewhere. Much of this work was done in the 1970s and 1980s when the subject, now increasingly regarded as mainstream within Neolithic studies, was largely shunned by professional archaeologists.Anyone with an interest in rock art is greatly indebted to Stan, not only for his work and his wisdom, so graciously shared, but also, as the contributors to this volume make clear, for the inspiration he has provided, and continues to provide, for work undertaken by others.

The North Pennines from Prehistory to Present is the first comprehensive survey of the archaeology of the region, from Mesolithic to modern times. Sometimes described as ‘England’s last wilderness’, the area is a vast but relatively little-known swathe of the English northern uplands. It is a land of contrasts: lush green dales, high windswept moorland, purple with heather in late summer, turbulent rivers and dramatic crags. Traces of 10,000 years of human activity survive to be studied today, including flint scatters at Mesolithic campsites, earthworks of prehistoric and later settlements and field systems, and extensive remnants of the post-medieval ‘miner-farmer’ landscape.Aspects of the area’s past have been studied over many decades. Recently, since 2010, much new knowledge has been generated through the work of Altogether Archaeology. Initially a North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) project, largely funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this has subsequently developed into an independent charitable community group. The authors of this volume have been involved in its work from the outset. This wide-ranging overview weaves together the results of projects by Altogether Archaeology and others. Lavishly illustrated, it includes numerous newly processed lidar images, demonstrating the value of lidar imagery in archaeological survey. It should appeal to the general reader interested in the area, as well as to students and specialists.