Books on The Palaeolithic
We have gathered together a range of archaeology resources for you to get to grips with the subject of prehistory and here are some books, websites, and more on the Palaeolithic both in Britain and the rest of the world.
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Here are some books aimed at non-archaeologists. They’re generally of a high standard and will help you get to grips with the subject and develop interesting schemes of work.
Early Humans
Early Humans
Ashton, N. 2017. Early Humans. London: HarperCollins UK. Written by one of Britain’s leading Palaeolithic researchers.
Neanderthals among mammoths: excavations at Lynford Quarry, Norfolk, UK
Neanderthals Among Mammoths
Boismier, W. A., C. S. Gamble, and F. Coward. Editors. 2011. Neanderthals among mammoths: excavations at Lynford Quarry, Norfolk, UK. London: English Heritage Monographs. Detailed report of excavations – dip in and out of it!
La Cotte de la St. Brelade 1961-1978
La Cotte de la St Brelade
Callow, P. and Cornford, L. 1986. La Cotte de la St. Brelade 1961-1978. Norwich: Geo Books. An earlier work on a Neanderthal site in Jersey.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe
The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe
Cunliffe, B. (Ed) 2001 The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe. Oxford, OUP. A useful read to compare and contrast what happened in Britain and Europe, especially after Britain became an island.
Prehistoric Britain 2nd Edition
Prehistoric Britain
Darvill, T. 2010. Prehistoric Britain 2nd Edition. London: Routledge. A good introductory text for newcomers to the subject written by one of the country’s leading specialists – chapters 1-3.
Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story
Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story
Dinnis, R. & Stringer, C. 2014. Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story. London: Natural History Museum. A really good telling of the human occupation of Britain.
Origins and Revolutions: Human Identity in Earliest Prehistory.
Origins and Revolutions: Human Identity in Earliest Prehistory
Gamble, C. S. 2007. Origins and revolutions: human identity in earliest prehistory. New York: Cambridge University Press. A look at human evolution on a global perspective.
Settling the Earth: The Archaeology of Deep Human History.
Settling the Earth: The Archaeology of Deep Human History.
Gamble, C.S. 2014. Settling the Earth: The Archaeology of Deep Human History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. More by Prof. Gamble on the fascinating story of the human journey.
Pontnewydd Cave: A Lower Palaeolithic Hominid Site In Wales.
Pontnewydd Cave: A Lower Palaeolithic Hominid Site in Wales.
Green, H.S. (Ed) 1984. Pontnewydd Cave: A Lower Palaeolithic Hominid Site in Wales. Cardiff: National Museum of Wales. Detailed report on the excavations at this site which changed the sex of the burial.
After the Ice. A Global Human History.
After The Ice. A Global Human History.
Mithen, S. 2006 After the Ice. A global human history. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Unusually, the author offers us this a compelling story which is part history, part science, part time travel, and portrays some of the diverse findings from archaeology to shed light on the lives and landscapes of a forgotten world.
The British Palaeolithic: Human Societies At The edge of the Pleistocene world.
The British Palaeolithic
Pettitt, P. and White, M., 2012. The British Palaeolithic: human societies at the edge of the Pleistocene world. London: Routledge
The British Palaeolithic: human societies at the edge of the Pleistocene world.
Britain BC
Pryor, F. 2004. Britain BC. London: Harper Collins. A good general introduction to, well, Britain before the Romans.
The British Palaeolithic: human societies at the edge of the Pleistocene world.
Homo Britannicus
Stringer, C. 2006. Homo Britannicus. Harmondsworth: Penguin. A good, detailed guide to the story of human occupation of the British Isles. A little technical in places but well worth reading.
The British Palaeolithic: human societies at the edge of the Pleistocene world.
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art
Wragg Sykes, Rebecca. 2020. Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art. London: Bloomsbury. A radical new look at one of our closest relations – well worth reading!