Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe

What we know of prehistoric Europe stems from archeological finds, ranging from cave paintings to the frozen body of a hunter exposed by a retreating glacier. This means that our knowledge is largely of the ordinary individual--the hunter-gatherer, farmer, or Metallurgist--rather than of kings. In this intriguing book, Jane McIntosh gathers the results of recent archaeological discoveries and scholarly research, covering all aspects of life in prehistoric Europe: the geography of the continent, economy, settlement, trade, transport, industry and crafts, religion, death and burial, warfare, language, the arts, and more. Throughout, McIntosh stresses the lives lived by the majority, rather than the privileged elite (as is so often the case in recorded history). Not that evidence of the latter is lacking: exquisite jewelry, elaborately woven cloth, and finely wrought weapons tell us a great deal about the rulers of this lost world. Including more than 75 illustrations and maps, the Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe provides an accessible introduction to the 7000-year period that immediately preceded the Roman Empire.

Jane McIntosh is the author of The Practical Archaeologist and Eyewitness Archaeology.

Introduction
1. Geography of Ancient Europe
The Mediterranean
The Mountains
Temperate Europe
The Atlantic Facade and the North Sea
The Far North
Environmental Change
Reading
2. The Development of Europe
Palaeolithic Europe
Early Postglacial Europe
Neolithic Consolidation
Late Neolithic
Chalcolithic
The Bronze Age
The Iron Age
After the Roman Conquest
Reading
3. Economy
Agriculture
Wild Resources
Economic Strategies
Reading
4. Settlement
Construction
Domestic Architecture
Settlements
Landscape
Reading
5. Trade and Transport
Trade
Land Transport
Water Transport
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6. Industry and Crafts
Wood
Textiles, Basketry, Nets, and Mats
Leathers and Furs
Bone, Horn, Antler, and Ivory
Stone
Salt
Metallurgy
Ceramics
Vitreous Materials
Other Materials
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7. Religion
Religious Believe and Practice
Shrines and Sacred Places
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8. Death and Burial
Funerary Practices
Monumental Tombs
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9. Warfare
Weapons and Armor
Fortifications and Defenses
Warriors
Conflicts, Battles, and Wars
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10. Language, Literature, and the Arts
European Languages
Writing
Literature
Visual Arts
Performing Arts
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11. Society and Life
Social and Political Organization
Crime and Punishment
The Organization of Industry
Gender
Everyday Life
Personal Appearance
Food
Health and Medicine
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Chronological Chart
List of Museums with Important European Material and Open-Air Museums
Bibliography
Electronic Resources
Index