Book dossier

Statements in stone

by Mark Patton

The great stone monuments, or megaliths, of Western Europe have for centuries excited the popular imagination. Recent years have seen an upsurge of interest in megalith studies involving a shift in emphasis away from traditional concerns with typology, chronology and megalithic 'origins' toward attempts to understand the social significance of these monuments and the cultural dimensions of monument construction and ritual. Statements in Stone is a detailed account of the megalithic traditions of North-Western France. In any consideration of European megaliths, Brittany must be seen as a core area, standing out from most other regions by virtue of the density and diversity of monuments. The book sets the various megalithic traditions into a social context and relates monumental traditions to changing structures of social organisation. These megaliths cover a period of over 2000 years, from the earliest Neolithic to the beginning of the Bronze Age. Mark Patton shows how recent excavations have contributed much important information to our understanding of megaliths, such as the discovery of early complexes beneath passage graves and evidence for multi-phase construction of megalithic cairns and tombs. Statements in Stone is based on the most recent - and controversial - theoretical perspectives in archaeology. It will be of great interest to students of archaeology and anthropology.