Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe - Softcover

McIntosh, Jane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195384768 ISBN 13: 9780195384765

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2009

Synopsis

For most of Europe's long past we have no writing, no named individuals, no recorded deeds. This means that its history is almost entirely that of the ordinary individual--the hunger-gatherer, farmer, or metallurgist--rather than the king. Evidence of privileged elites and material splendor is not lacking, however. The skills and expertise of prehistoric Europeans were often employed in the production of exquisite jewelry, elaborately woven cloth, beautifully made tools, and finely wrought weapons. Though the palaces that have attracted excavators in other lands are absent, there are few monuments elsewhere in the world to rival Europe's massive megalithic tombs or great stone circles. And though individuals preserve their anonymity and many of their secrets, modern technology has made it possible to reveal parts of their life history in astonishing detail.

Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe gathers the results of recent archaeological discoveries and scholarly research into a single accessible volume. Organized thematically, the handbook covers all aspects of life in prehistoric Europe, including the geography of the continent, settlement, trade and transport, industry and crafts, religion, death and burial, warfare, language, the arts, and more. Complemented with more than 75 illustrations and maps, the result is a fascinating introduction to the 7,000-year period that immediately preceded the Roman Empire.

About this title

About the Author

Jane McIntosh is the author of many articles and books, including The Practical Archaeologist and Eyewitness Archaeology.

From Booklist

According to the introduction, the purpose of Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe is "to give some account of what is known or surmised about" the artifacts and monuments of prehistoric Europe and their makers--their industry and crafts, their settlements, their mythology and religion, their health and medicine, the food they ate, the warfare they practiced, and more. Coverage begins in 7,000 BCE, when agricultural communities began appearing in southeastern Europe, and follows the historical trail to 100 BCE, when most of Europe came under Roman hegemony.

The volume is organized in 11 topical chapters, beginning with "Geography of Ancient Europe," which is divided into subtopics on "The Mediterranean," "The Mountains," "Temperate Europe," "The Atlantic Facade and the North Sea," "The Far North," and "Environmental Change." Examples of the other 10 chapters include "The Development of Europe," "Economy," "Trade and Transport," and "Death and Burial." Black-and-white illustrations accompany some of the material, and each of the chapters ends with a list of references for each subtopic. Full bibliographic detail is not included there but in the bibliographical section near the end of the volume, along with a chronology and a list of relevant museums. Given the book's topical arrangement, the 29-page index is invaluable for finding specific information not revealed in the table of contents.

Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe is part of the nine-volume Handbook to Life set, which also includes Handbook to Life in the Aztec World (2005), Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan (2005), and Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe (2005), among others. It is recommended for academic and large public libraries where other volumes in the series have been popular. Jerry Carbone
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0195384768
• ISBN 13: 9780195384765
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 418