Peter Bogucki – författare

Drawing extensively on anthropological theory and ecological models of human adaptation, Forest Farmers and Stockherders explores the single most radical transformation in all European prehistory - the growth of a food-producing economy in the period 5000-3000 BC. Dr Bogucki seeks to develop a coherent view of the introduction of food production to north-central Europe, identifying new environmental zones being exploited for the first time and new ecological adaptations being adopted by both indigenous and colonizing populations. He lays particular emphasis on the strategies developed by Neolithic communities for coping with the environmental risks and uncertainties inherent in the introduction of new economic systems and the social implications of these strategies for the organization of human behaviour.

Connections and Transformations in Early Europe examines the diverse economic, social, and symbolic practices of Iron Age and early medieval societies in northern, western, and central Europe, offering fresh insights into the innovative processes of the 1st millennium BC and AD.This book provides a comprehensive exploration of connectivity, mobility, urbanism, and visual worlds in early European societies. Through regional case studies, including the British Isles, Germany, Poland, the Lower Rhine Valley, and Denmark, readers gain a deeper understanding of how social identities were communicated and urban centers emerged. With contributions from leading scholars, it delivers valuable theoretical reflections supported by the latest research and discoveries, underscoring the transformative nature of these regions during the 1st millennium.Providing a lasting tribute to Peter S. Wells, whose influence continues to shape the study of prehistoric and early historic Europe, this book is for students and researchers of late prehistoric and early historic Europe during the final millennium BC and the 1st millennium AD.

This book provides a broad overview of the current research questions facing archaeologists working in Europe. The book uses a case-study method in which a number of archaeologists discuss their work and reflect on their goals and approaches. The emphasis is on the intellectual process of archaeology, not just the techniques and results. Chronological coverage is provided from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age and over much of the European continent.

The Origins of Human Society traces the development of human culture from its origins over 2 million years ago to the emergence of literate civilization. In addition to a global coverage of prehistoric life, the book pays specific attention to the origins and dispersal of anatomically-modern humans, the development of symbolic expression, the transition from mobile foraging bands to sedentary households, early agriculture and its consequences, the emergence of social differentiation and hereditary ranking, and the prehistoric roots of ancient states and empires.The Blackwell History of the World SeriesThe goal of this ambitious series is to provide an accessible source of knowledge about the entire human past, for every curious person in every part of the world. It will comprise some two dozen volumes, of which some provide synoptic views of the history of particular regions while others consider the world as a whole during a particular period of time. The volumes are narrative in form, giving balanced attention to social and cultural history (in the broadest sense) as well as to institutional development and political change. Each provides a systematic account of a very large subject, but they are also both imaginative and interpretative. The Series is intended to be accessible to the widest possible readership, and the accessibility of its volumes is matched by the style of presentation and production.

The Origins of Human Society traces the development of human culture from its origins over 2 million years ago to the emergence of literate civilization. In addition to a global coverage of prehistoric life, the book pays specific attention to the origins and dispersal of anatomically-modern humans, the development of symbolic expression, the transition from mobile foraging bands to sedentary households, early agriculture and its consequences, the emergence of social differentiation and hereditary ranking, and the prehistoric roots of ancient states and empires.The Blackwell History of the World SeriesThe goal of this ambitious series is to provide an accessible source of knowledge about the entire human past, for every curious person in every part of the world. It will comprise some two dozen volumes, of which some provide synoptic views of the history of particular regions while others consider the world as a whole during a particular period of time. The volumes are narrative in form, giving balanced attention to social and cultural history (in the broadest sense) as well as to institutional development and political change. Each provides a systematic account of a very large subject, but they are also both imaginative and interpretative. The Series is intended to be accessible to the widest possible readership, and the accessibility of its volumes is matched by the style of presentation and production.

Beginning in the Stone Age and continuing through the collapse of the Roman empire, The Barbarians describes the increasing complexity, technological accomplishments and distinctive practices of peoples who entered recorded history very late, mainly through second-hand accounts. Their story, known almost exclusively through archaeological finds of settlements, offerings, monuments and burials, is as compelling as that of the great literate, urban civilizations. Moreover, the prehistoric past of Europe echoes into the modern era through new discoveries, celebrations of the past, tourist attractions and even politics.Peter Bogucki highlights important discoveries and situates them in a narrative of long-term continuous development and modern understanding of the nature of ancient societies, as well as considering the rich and varied legacy left to us today.

Since the days of V. Gordon Childe, the study of the emergence of complex societies has been a central question in anthropological archaeology. However, archaeologists working in the Americanist tradition have drawn most of their models for the emergence of social complexity from research in the Middle East and Latin America. Bernard Wailes was a strong advocate for the importance of later prehistoric and early medieval Europe as an alternative model of sociopolitical evolution and trained generations of American archaeologists now active in European research from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. Two centuries of excavation and research in Europe have produced one of the richest bodies of archaeological data anywhere in the world. The abundant data show that technological innovations such as metallurgy appeared very early, but urbanism and state formation are comparatively late developments. Key transformative process such as the spread of agriculture did not happen uniformly but rather at different rates in different regions. The essays in this volume celebrate the legacy of Bernard Wailes by highlighting the contribution of the European archaeological record to our understanding of the emergence of social complexity. They provide case studies in how ancient Europe can inform anthropological archaeology. Not only do they illuminate key research topics, they also invite archaeologists working in other parts of the world to consider comparisons to ancient Europe as they construct models for cultural development for their regions. Although there is a substantial corpus of literature on European prehistoric and medieval archaeology, we do not know of a comparable volume that explicitly focuses on the contribution that the study of ancient Europe can make to anthropological archaeology.