Handbook to Life in Prehistoric EuropeFor 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. |
Contents
2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPE | 15 |
3 ECONOMY | 101 |
4 SETTLEMENT | 127 |
5 TRADE AND TRANSPORT | 165 |
6 INDUSTRY AND CRAFTS | 191 |
7 RELIGION | 239 |
8 DEATH AND BURIAL | 271 |
9 WARFARE | 295 |
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Common terms and phrases
Anatolia animals appeared areas associated Atlantic axes Balkans became began bodies bones Britain Bronze Age building built burials buried Celtic cemeteries central central Europe century chamber clay communities constructed contained continued copper covered created cultivation culture decorated developed ditches domestic earlier early east eastern enclosures England Europe European evidence example farming feet flint France gold graves Greek ground groups H ANDBOOK heads horses houses human Iberia important individuals Iron Age Italy known lake land Late later located major materials Mediterranean ments Mesolithic metal meters millennium mines mounds Neolithic North European Plain northern objects offerings particularly period pits placed plants posts pottery practice probably produce region REHISTORIC E UROPE remains rivers rock Roman settle settlements sometimes sources southern spread stone suggest third timber tombs trade vessels villages walls western widely wild wood wooden