Britain begins

Britain Begins is nothing less than the story of the origins of the British and the Irish peoples, from around 10,000 BC to the eve of the Norman Conquest. Using the most up to date archaeological evidence together with new work on DNA and other scientific techniques which help us to trace the origins and movements of these early settlers, Barry Cunliffe offers a rich narrative account of the first islanders - who they were, where they came from, and how they interacted one with another. Underlying this narrative throughout is the story of the sea, which allowed the islanders and their continental neighbours to be in constant contact. The story told by the archaeological evidence, in later periods augmented by historical texts, satisfies our need to know who we are and where we come from. But before the development of the discipline of archaeology, people used what scraps there were, gleaned from Biblical and classical texts, to create a largely mythological origin for the British. Britain Begins also explores the development of these early myths, which show our ancestors attempting to understand their origins. And, as Cunliffe shows, today's archaeologists are driven by the same desire to understand the past - the only real difference is that we have vastly more evidence to work with.

In the beginning : myths and ancestors -- Britain emerges : the stage is set -- Interlude : enter the actors -- Settlement begins, 10,000-4200 BC -- New people, new ideas, 4200-3000 BC -- Mobilizing materials : a new connectivity, 3000-1500 BC -- Interlude : talking to each other -- The productive land in the Age of Warriors, 1500-800 BC -- Episodes of conflict, 800-60 BC -- Interlude : approaching the gods -- Integration : the Roman episode, 60 BC-AD 350 -- "Its red and savage tongue," AD 350-650 -- The Age of the Northmen, AD 600-1100 -- Of myths and realities : an epilogue.