''Fragments from Antiquity: An Archaeology of Social Life in Britain, 2900-1200 BC'' is a book on the archaeology of Britain in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages written by the British archaeologist
John C. Barrett
John C. Barrett, (born 1949) is a British archaeologist, prehistorian, and Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield. His research has primarily focussed on archaeological theory, European Prehi ...
, then a senior lecturer at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. It was first published in 1994 by the Oxford-based company
Blackwell Blackwell may refer to:
Places
;Canada
* Blackwell, Ontario
;United Kingdom
* Blackwell, County Durham, England
* Blackwell, Carlisle, Cumbria, England
* Blackwell (historic house), South Lakeland, Cumbria, England
* Blackwell, Bolsover, Alfre ...
as a part of their ‘Social Archaeology’ series, edited by the archaeologist
Ian Hodder
Ian Richard Hodder (born 23 November 1948, in Bristol) is a British archaeologist and pioneer of postprocessualist theory in archaeology that first took root among his students and in his own work between 1980–1990. At this time he had such ...
of the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
.
An adherent of the
post-processual school of thought in
archaeological theory
Archaeological theory refers to the various intellectual frameworks through which archaeologists interpret archaeological data. Archaeological theory functions as the application of philosophy of science to archaeology, and is occasionally referre ...
, in ''Fragments from Antiquity'', Barrett eschews the 'grand narrative' approach which he associates with
processualism
Processual archaeology (formerly, the New Archaeology) is a form of archaeological theory that had its beginnings in 1958 with the work of Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips, ''Method and Theory in American Archaeology,'' in which the pair stated ...
, instead focusing in on the much smaller period of time between 2900 and 1200 BCE.
Although many of Barrett's interpretations of the evidence remained controversial, Fragments from Antiquity has remained an influential text amongst archaeologists studying British prehistory.
Background
Post-processualism
John C. Barrett
Barrett had contributed a section on Early Bronze Age hoards and metalwork to the 1985 book ''
Symbols of Power: At the Time of Stonehenge'', a work written by D.V. Clarke, T.G. Cowie and Andrew Foxon which had been published by the
National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture of Scotland, culture and History of Scotland, history, and the ...
.
Synopsis
In the book's introduction, Barrett criticises the trend amongst processual archaeologists to focus on the generalisation of past societies into a series of processes, instead arguing that archaeologists should instead think about the individuals of the past, who are otherwise forgotten. He therefore accepts the role that post-processual theory plays in the book, but argues that "this is not a book about archaeological theory", instead being "an empirical study aimed at building a history of the period between about 2900 and 1200 BC in southern Britain" a timespan that he considers to be "one of the most remarkable periods in European prehistory".
[ Barrett 1994. pp. 1-7.]
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
{{refend
1993 non-fiction books
Archaeology books