Westward on the High-Hilled Plains

The Later Prehistory of the West Midlands

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, History, European General, British
Cover of the book Westward on the High-Hilled Plains by Derek Hurst, Oxbow Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Derek Hurst ISBN: 9781785704123
Publisher: Oxbow Books Publication: March 31, 2017
Imprint: Oxbow Books Language: English
Author: Derek Hurst
ISBN: 9781785704123
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Publication: March 31, 2017
Imprint: Oxbow Books
Language: English

The West Midlands has struggled archaeologically to project a distinct regional identity, having largely been defined by reference to other areas with a stronger cultural identity and history, such as Wessex the South-West, and the North. Only occasionally has the West Midlands come to prominence, for instance in the middle Saxon period (viz. the kingdom of Mercia), or, much later, with rural south Shropshire being the birthplace of the Industrial rRevolution. Yet it is a region rich in natural mineral resources, set amidst readily productive farmland, and with major rivers, such as the Severn, facilitating transportation. The scale of its later prehistoric monuments, notably the hillforts, proclaims the centralisation of some functions, whether for security, exchange or emulation, while society supported the production and widespread distribution of specialised craft goods. Finally, towards the close of prehistory, localised kingdoms can be seen to emerge into view. In the course of reviewing the evidence for later prehistory from the Middle Bronze Age to Late Iron Age, the papers presented here adopt a variety of approaches, being either regional, county-wide, or thematic (eg. by site type, or artefactual typology), and they also encompass the wider landscape as reconstructed from environmental evidence. This is the second volume in a series – The Making of the West Midlands – that explores the archaeology of the English West Midlands region from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards. These volumes, based on a series of West Midlands Research Framework seminars, aim to transform perceptions of the nature and significance of the archaeological evidence across a large part of central Britain.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The West Midlands has struggled archaeologically to project a distinct regional identity, having largely been defined by reference to other areas with a stronger cultural identity and history, such as Wessex the South-West, and the North. Only occasionally has the West Midlands come to prominence, for instance in the middle Saxon period (viz. the kingdom of Mercia), or, much later, with rural south Shropshire being the birthplace of the Industrial rRevolution. Yet it is a region rich in natural mineral resources, set amidst readily productive farmland, and with major rivers, such as the Severn, facilitating transportation. The scale of its later prehistoric monuments, notably the hillforts, proclaims the centralisation of some functions, whether for security, exchange or emulation, while society supported the production and widespread distribution of specialised craft goods. Finally, towards the close of prehistory, localised kingdoms can be seen to emerge into view. In the course of reviewing the evidence for later prehistory from the Middle Bronze Age to Late Iron Age, the papers presented here adopt a variety of approaches, being either regional, county-wide, or thematic (eg. by site type, or artefactual typology), and they also encompass the wider landscape as reconstructed from environmental evidence. This is the second volume in a series – The Making of the West Midlands – that explores the archaeology of the English West Midlands region from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards. These volumes, based on a series of West Midlands Research Framework seminars, aim to transform perceptions of the nature and significance of the archaeological evidence across a large part of central Britain.

More books from Oxbow Books

Cover of the book The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Empingham II, Rutland by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Archaeology and Anthropology by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Antiquarianisms by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Glass of the Roman World by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book An Archaeology of Prehistoric Bodies and Embodied Identities in the Eastern Mediterranean by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Greece, Macedon and Persia by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Plants and People by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book The Emergence of Civilisation by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book The Early Roman Empire in the West by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book A Neolithic Ceremonial Complex in Galloway by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Empire State by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Northern Archaeological Textiles by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Journal of Roman Pottery Studies Volume 9 by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Fortified Settlements in Early Medieval Europe by Derek Hurst
Cover of the book Invention and Innovation by Derek Hurst
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy