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This book traces the developments in the defences, weaponry and armour of the northern'barbarians'from the earliest traces of stone age aggression to the sophisticated warfare of the tribes who met the Romans in battle. It uses evidence from monuments such as the great hillforts of the Bronze and Iron Ages, including Maiden Castle in Dorset and Alesia in France, as well as the amazing archaeological finds seen in museums and collections across northern Europe. Period by period, the ways in which the peoples of Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia developed defensive and offensive strategies are brought together for those interested in both military history and in the development of our societies and countryside. Evidence from many countries is used to shed light on the centuries before written records and to redress the balance of our understanding which has often been too heavily influenced by Roman propaganda!As featured in Essence Magazine.

Proto-colonial archaeology explores the physical origins of the world culture that evolved out of contacts made in the Age of Exploration, from Columbus to Cromwell. The early defended sites show how colonizing Europeans first responded to the challenges of new environments and new peoples, and how their choices led to conquest, adaption, or failure. Fortifications, once necessary to protect the colonies, are now essential clues to understand their history. The first comparative study of proto-colonial fortifications, First Forts is a collection of essays written by leading archaeologists in the field. Meeting the needs of archaeologists and historians around the globe, this book will also appeal to military enthusiasts, preservationists, and students of the Age of Exploration.Contributors are David Orr, Kathleen Deagan, Steven Pendery, Eric Klingelhofer, Nicholas Luccketti, Edward Harris, Roger Leech, Paul Huey, Jay Haviser, Oscar Hefting, Christopher DeCorse, Ranjith Jayasena and Pieter Floore.

The medieval Mediterranean world has inspired a rich variety of archaeological studies aimed at trying to piece together its past. This volume presents seven case studies that reveal the complexities of and possible solutions for exploring various areas of the Mediterranean basin. Individually, they offer models of interdisciplinary study that move beyond the disciplinary boundaries of archaeology to integrate evidence from other fields ranging from history to town planning. As a whole, they provide the only collection of studies of their kind for the medieval Mediterraean. They thus provide readers with a view of a field that is vibrant, nuanced, and utilizes a methodological approach that is capable of greatly increasing our knowledge of the medieval Mediterranean world.Contributors are Tasha Vorderstrasse, Jon van Leuven, Cédric Devais, Michelle Hobart, Giulia Annalinda Neglia, Johnny De Meulemeester, and Sauro Gelichi.

This book examines a number of themes relating to social and political life in Late Antiquity. The first part of the book considers how the powers of the emperor, state and civic authorities were expressed in the phyiscal environment, and how coinage and material culture were caught up in the political life of the period. The second part investigates the'middle classes'and'the poor', who are often less visible in archaeological, textual and epigraphic records. Other articles consider such topics as long term social evolution and the definition of time in Late Antiquity. Two extensive bibliographic essays provide an overview of published literature relating to social and political life.