Written in Stone: Papers on the function, form, and provenancing of prehistoric stone objects in memory of Fiona Roe (Southamtpon Monographs in Archaeology)

Prehistoric Britain has generated an enormous number and wide variety of stone objects, but few books deal specifically with stone tools that are not flint. This book brings together papers from 22 of the UK’s archaeologists investigating the stone objects that were fundamental to the daily lives of prehistoric people. The book is divided into four sections. Part 1 is a short section designed to introduce the reader to the range of stone objects used in prehistory. Part 2 contains papers that deal with the petrology and typology of axeheads, maceheads, battle axes and felsite tools. Papers in Part 3 are about function, form and dating of querns. Part 4 is a broad ranging section dealing with ‘other’ types of artifacts and materials, from considerations of the form and function of bracers, loomweights, Bronze Age jewelry and polissoirs, to the use of materials such as beach resources and chalk.
The book will appeal to scholars of prehistory, and to anyone with an interest in the exploitation of stone resources and the function and form of the resulting objects. It is intended as a tribute to Fiona Roe, FSA. Fiona worked tirelessly on all aspects of stone artifacts and encouraged, supported and inspired many scholars to embark on studies of them. This book would not have been possible without the groundwork that she laid during the last five decades.

“The authors of this very well illustrated festschrift for the late Fiona Roe have perfectly encapsulated her interests and, in so doing, furnished readers with a wealth of thought provoking information about items as disparate as maceheads, querns, loom weights and polissoirs... Fiona would have been delighted. She richly deserved this fine festschrift.”

“[ a ] fruitful mix in which geology, style, technology and context, in the landscape and in ancient deposits, are all valued and examined... Well edited, with index.”