An Ethnography of the Neolithic
Early Prehistoric Societies in Southern Scandinavia

A reconstruction of society in prehistoric Scandinavia, which integrates archaeology and anthropology.

Christopher Tilley (Author)

9780521568210, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 October 2003

388 pages, 68 b/w illus. 19 colour illus. 35 maps 34 tables
19 x 24.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.706 kg

'… what has rarely been seen before is the degree of comparative interpretation that is employed here to create a view of prehistory that hitherto has been beyond our reach.' Neil Mortimer, 3rd Stone

Archaeological research in Sweden and Denmark has uncovered a startling array of evidence over the last 150 years, but until now there has been no comprehensive synthesis and interpretation of the material. An Ethnography of the Neolithic bridges this gap, giving an accessible and up-to-date analysis of a wide range of evidence, from landscapes to monumental tombs to portable artifacts. Christopher Tilley also uses this material as a basis for a provocative and novel reconstruction of late Mesolithic and earlier Neolithic societies in southern Scandinavia, over a period of 3,000 years. His skilful integration of archaeological evidence with new anthropological approaches makes this book an original contribution to an important topic, whose significance stretches outside Scandinavia, and beyond the Neolithic.

Part I. The Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic: 1. The original affluent society
2. Axes, pots and monuments
Part II. Stone Monuments and Society in the Middle Neolithic: 3. Monument construction and social competition
4. Settlement, tomb and landscape
5. Death and body symbolism
6. The social lives of artifacts
7. Neolithic politics and a religion of the body
8. Epilogue: working with metaphors.

Subject Areas: Prehistoric archaeology [HDDA]