1st Edition

Living on the Lake in Prehistoric Europe 150 Years of Lake-Dwelling Research

Edited By Francesco Menotti Copyright 2004
    304 Pages 38 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    304 Pages 38 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The chance discovery in 1854 of a prehistoric lake village on Lake Zurich triggered what we now call the 'lake-dwelling phenomenon'. One hundred and fifty years of research and animated academic disputes have transformed the phenomenon into one of the most reliable sources of information in wetland archaeology.

    This definitive volume provides an overview of the development of lake village studies, explores the impact of a range of scientific techniques on the settlements and considers how the public can relate to this evocative and exciting branch of archaeology. It explains how the multidisciplinary research context has significantly improved our knowledge of prehistoric wetland communities, from an environmental as well as a cultural perspective.

    List of figures, List of contributors, Foreword, Acknowledgements, Introduction: the lake-dwelling phenomenon and wetland archaeology, PART 1 Diversity in unity: regional frontiers in lake-dwelling research, PART 2 Lakes as laboratories: the application of science, PART 3 New perspectives in lake-settlement research, PART 4 Expert views and public interest: finding a balance, Index

    Biography

    Francesco Menotti is research associate at the Institute of Archaeology, Oxford University. His field of expertise is later European prehistory with a special emphasis in places upon wetland and underwater archaeology.

    'Well-illustrated ... well-documented ... [and] well-written ... this book is not only very pleasant to read, it also succeeds in drawing a sharp picture of the lake-dwelling phenomenon.' - www.PalArch.nl