The Archaeology of Britain sets out to be “essential reading for undergraduates in archaeology, and all those interested in British archaeology, history and geography”. Seventeen chapters provide an introduction to British archaeology since 1945 and then a period by period guide, each chapter by an appropriate expert. From the Roman period onwards some of the chapters are subject as well as period divided. For example Chapter 8 deals with the military dimension to Roman Britain while Chapter 9 investigates civil and rural society. The final chapter deals with the role of the past in the present ‐ cultural resource management (CRM). This is a particularly good introduction to a complex subject, which is now beginning to be taught in archaeology degrees and is a postgraduate subject in its own right, although 20 years ago was almost unknown. This chapter deserves a wide audience in explaining CRM to the public whose experience of it may have been provided by the Time Team.
Textbooks always suffer from problems of currency, although it is interesting to note that Megaw and Simpson’s textbook on British Prehistory, published 20 years ago when this reviewer was an undergraduate (and one of their students), is still referenced as a key text in the chapter on the Later Bronze Age. Looking at the current book it is hard to believe that it will not also have a long shelf‐life. Where it is unusual as a textbook is that it really is accessible and readable. No specialist knowledge is required to understand it, yet the chapters do not trivialise their subjects. The book is also slightly unusual in covering the whole of British archaeology, up to the present day and giving what appears to be a very fair weighting to the various periods. What it obviously cannot be, however, is comprehensive. It refers to type sites or individual examples and is not, in general, the text one would turn to for detailed information about a specific site.
The line drawings and maps are clear, although the legend on the maps is set in a type size too small for many to read comfortably ‐ this is a particular criticism given the increasing interest in archaeology among older citizens. Photographs are printed in the text and appear somewhat grey, often losing their impact. There is some standardisation between chapters with many, for example, having a section on key sites and assemblages. Individual chapters also use interpretive techniques relevant to the particular period. A particularly nice example is the table of key dates in Bill Hanson’s chapter on the military dimension of Roman Britain where the source of each date is given ‐ this will be a very useful reference source.
This is a book which any library catering for archaeology students ‐ at GCSE, A‐level, undergraduate or “adult education” level ‐ will wish to have on the shelves.
