Book Review: The Archaeology of Britain: An Introduction from Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century (3rd ed.)
Edited by Vicki Cummings and Stephen T. Driscoll
Routledge, 2025. DOI: 10.4324/9780429445521
Introduction
Jacquetta Hawkes once remarked, "Every age gets the Stonehenge it deserves," suggesting that our interpretations of the past are inevitably coloured by the present.
The Archaeology of Britain: An Introduction from Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century (3rd ed.), edited by Vicki Cummings and Stephen T. Driscoll, embodies this idea, presenting an archaeology shaped by twenty-first-century tools, values, and challenges. From the DNA analysis of Cheddar Man to the decolonisation of archaeological narratives, this volume reflects an era where science, inclusivity, and global concerns like climate change frame our understanding of Britain’s history. Published in 2025 by Routledge, this third edition—curated by Vicki Cummings, Professor of Neolithic Archaeology at Cardiff University, and Stephen T. Driscoll, Professor of Historical Archaeology at the University of Glasgow—spans the Palaeolithic to the present, revealing how today’s preoccupations breathe new life into ancient stories. It is a testament to how "every age gets the archaeology it deserves," offering a distinctly modern lens on Britain’s past.
Prestigious Authors: Credentials That Inspire Confidence
The book’s credibility rests on the shoulders of its editors and contributors, a veritable who’s who of British archaeology. Vicki Cummings brings her expertise in Neolithic studies, honed through years of research at Cardiff University, while Stephen T. Driscoll offers a deep understanding of historical archaeology from his tenure at the University of Glasgow. Together, they have curated a team of specialists whose credentials ensure each chapter is both authoritative and current.
- Paul Pettitt and Mark White (Chapter 2): Professors at Durham University, Pettitt specialises in Palaeolithic human behaviour, while White focuses on the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic, making them ideal guides for Britain’s earliest human occupations.
- Steven Mithen and Nicky Milner (Chapter 3): Mithen, Professor of Early Prehistory at the University of Reading, and Milner, Professor of Archaeology at the University of York, are renowned for their work on Mesolithic hunter-gatherers.
- Alasdair Whittle (Chapters 4 and 5): A distinguished archaeologist, Whittle collaborates with Cummings and Susan Greaney to explore the Neolithic, drawing on his extensive research into early farming societies.
- Mike Parker Pearson (Chapter 6): A leading figure in Bronze Age studies, Parker Pearson’s work on Stonehenge and the Beaker people enriches the Early Bronze Age chapter.
- Joanna Brück (Chapter 7): An expert in Bronze Age social dynamics, Brück’s research at University College Dublin informs her analysis of the Middle and Late Bronze Age.
- Colin Haselgrove and Meredith Laing (Chapter 8): Haselgrove, Professor at the University of Leicester, and Laing bring their Iron Age expertise to bear on this transitional period.
- W.S. (Bill) Hanson and Michael Fulford (Chapters 9 and 10): Hanson, a Roman military specialist, and Fulford, Professor at the University of Reading, provide complementary perspectives on Roman Britain.
- Catherine Hills (Chapter 11): A Cambridge scholar, Hills is a key authority on Early Historic Britain.
- Julian D. Richards (Chapter 13): Professor at the University of York, Richards is a leading voice in Viking archaeology.
This pattern of excellence continues across all 20 chapters, with contributors like Ben Jervis, Jonathan Finch, John Schofield, and Timothy Darvill—each a luminary in their field—ensuring the book’s scholarly heft. Their collective expertise guarantees a synthesis of the latest research, making this an indispensable resource.
Chapter Contents: A Chronological Odyssey
The book’s 20 chapters offer a chronological sweep of British archaeology, enriched with thematic depth and vivid case studies. Below is a detailed overview:
Chapter 1: British Archaeology in the 21st Century
By Vicki Cummings and Stephen T. Driscoll
The editors introduce the volume with the story of Cheddar Man, a Mesolithic skeleton whose DNA analysis revealed dark skin and blue eyes, upending assumptions about ancient Britons. This chapter showcases how modern archaeology leverages technology to rewrite history.
Chapter 2: The Palaeolithic Occupation of Britain 850,000 to 11,500 Years Ago
By Paul Pettitt and Mark White
This chapter traces the first human arrivals in Britain, small hunter-gatherer groups navigating a shifting Pleistocene landscape alongside mammoths and bison. It highlights their ecological interdependence.
Chapter 3: Hunter-Gatherers of the Mesolithic
By Steven Mithen and Nicky Milner
Spanning 9650 to 4000 BC, this chapter explores the Mesolithic’s climatic upheavals and the agency of hunter-gatherers, who shaped their environment and spiritual lives with microlithic tools.
Chapter 4: The Early Neolithic
By Vicki Cummings and Alasdair Whittle
Using the Hazleton North long cairn as a focal point, this chapter examines settlement, social ties, and mortuary practices in the early farming era, offering a window into Neolithic life.
Chapter 5: The Middle and Late Neolithic
By Susan Greaney and Alasdair Whittle
From 3300 to 2400 BC, this period of diversity and monumental construction is dissected, with a call for a unified narrative to connect regional variations.
Chapter 6: The Early Bronze Age
By Mike Parker Pearson
The arrival of the Beaker people and metallurgy (2450–1550 BC) is detailed, with insights into burials, settlements, and Stonehenge’s redesign.
Chapter 7: The Middle and Late Bronze Age
By Joanna Brück
Covering 1550–800 BC, this chapter charts a shift from ceremonial to domestic landscapes, with new settlement patterns and ritual practices emerging.
Chapter 8: The Iron Age
By Colin Haselgrove and Meredith Laing
From 800 BC to the Roman era, this chapter explores Iron Age diversity, from hill forts to subtle Roman influences in the north.
Chapters 9 and 10: Roman Britain (Military and Civil)
By W.S. (Bill) Hanson and Michael Fulford
Hanson details the military conquest (AD 43–410), while Fulford examines civil developments—towns, roads, and trade—before Rome’s withdrawal.
Chapter 11: Early Historic Britain
By Catherine Hills
This chapter traces the post-Roman emergence of England, Scotland, and Wales, focusing on kingdom formation amidst Viking incursions.
Chapter 12: Early Medieval Celtic Britain
By Stephen T. Driscoll and Adrián Maldonado
The north and west’s transformation post-Rome is explored, with new kingdoms rising from a vortex of migration and memory.
Chapter 13: Viking Britain
By Julian D. Richards
From AD 800, Viking raids and settlements are illuminated with new evidence from metal-detecting and science, culminating in the Norman Conquest.
Chapter 14: Landscapes of the Middle Ages: Towns 1050–1500
By Ben Jervis
This chapter defines medieval towns by their economic and social roles, beyond mere agriculture, within an urban hierarchy.
Chapter 15: Landscapes of the Middle Ages: Castles, Churches, and Monasteries
By Stephen T. Driscoll and C. Pamela Graves
The architecture of power—secular and sacred—is examined, with stone buildings as enduring symbols of medieval authority.
Chapter 16: Landscapes of the Middle Ages: Rural Settlement and Manors
By Paul Stamper
From 1066 to the 1540s, this chapter details the evolution of rural life, marked by manors and the Dissolution’s land shifts.
Chapter 17: Britain from AD 1500 to 1830
By Jonathan Finch
This post-medieval period spans Reformation to railways, with colonialism’s global impact reframing Britain’s archaeology.
Chapter 18: The Spoils of Industry
By Kate Clark and Michael Nevell
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries’ industrial boom is dissected, linking British innovation to global inequality and climate change.
Chapter 19: The Plastic Age
By John Schofield
Dubbed the “Plastic Age,” the modern era (post-1945) is defined by plastic’s ubiquity, a material boon and environmental bane.
Chapter 20: Britain’s Historic Environment
By Timothy Darvill
Darvill concludes with a meditation on the historic environment as a living, contested space shaping Britain’s identity.
Style, Knowledge, and Audience
The book’s style is both scholarly and approachable, with each chapter blending rigorous analysis with engaging narratives making complex ideas digestible. It assumes an introductory level of knowledge, ideal for undergraduates in archaeology or history, yet its depth and currency appeal to postgraduates and professionals. General readers with a curiosity about Britain’s past will also find it rewarding, thanks to its clear prose and vivid examples.
Conclusion: An Essential Tome
The Archaeology of Britain is an essential book for anyone invested in the field. Its stellar authorship, comprehensive scope, and reflection of modern archaeological trends make it a cornerstone text. As “every age gets the Archaeology it deserves,” this volume captures our era’s spirit—technologically advanced, inclusive, and vital—ensuring its place on every archaeologist’s shelf.
