Review by Choice Review
Archaeologist Thomas (Univ. of Manchester, UK) revisits interpretations of the beginning (ca. 4000 BCE) and development of the British Neolithic. Scholars have long viewed this period as the product of the migration of peoples from the continent with their domesticated plants and animals and their established patterns of settlement and ritual life. Thomas considerably nuances this view in light of a wealth of new archaeological data both from continental Europe and the British Isles. Reflecting changing interpretations in Britain and abroad, he sees the development of the British Neolithic as a long period of contact between island and mainland that saw the movements of peoples, but in small groups, not population waves, and the transfer of ideas and domesticates to an indigenous, insular population. Out of this contact grew the distinctive and varied Neolithic adaptations that have been identified by British archaeologists. Abundantly illustrated with photographs, line drawings, and maps, and supported with an extensive and current bibliography, this is an obvious purchase for colleges and universities with graduate and undergraduate programs in anthropology and archaeology. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. R. B. Clay emeritus, University of Kentucky
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
