Written in Stone: Papers on the function, form, and provenancing of prehistoric stone objects in memory of Fiona Roe

by Ruth Shaffrey (Editor)

Overview

Prehistoric Britain has generated an enormous number and wide variety of stone objects, but few books deal specifically with stone tools that are not flint. This book brings together papers from 22 of the UK’s archaeologists investigating the stone objects that were fundamental to the daily lives of prehistoric people. The book is divided into four sections. Part 1 is a short section designed to introduce the reader to the range of stone objects used in prehistory. Part 2 contains papers that deal with the petrology and typology of axeheads, maceheads, battle axes and felsite tools. Papers in Part 3 are about function, form and dating of querns. Part 4 is a broad ranging section dealing with ‘other’ types of artifacts and materials, from considerations of the form and function of bracers, loomweights, Bronze Age jewelry and polissoirs, to the use of materials such as beach resources and chalk.
The book will appeal to scholars of prehistory, and to anyone with an interest in the exploitation of stone resources and the function and form of the resulting objects. It is intended as a tribute to Fiona Roe, FSA. Fiona worked tirelessly on all aspects of stone artifacts and encouraged, supported and inspired many scholars to embark on studies of them. This book would not have been possible without the groundwork that she laid during the last five decades.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780992633684
Publisher:	The Highfield Press
Publication date:	05/03/2018
Series:	Southampton Monographs in Archaeology
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.72(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

List of Figures vii

List of Tables xiii

Introduction Dedication to Fiona Roe Nat Alcock Fenella Heckscker Ruth Shaffrey Katharine Walker 1

Introduction: The history of stone artefact studies Fiona Roe† 4

Part 1 Implement Petrology and Typology

Chapter 1 Process, form and time: Maceheads in an Orcadian Context Hugo Anderson-Whymark Ann Clarke Mark Edmonds Antonia Thomas 10

Chapter 2 Cornish axe groupings, not Cornish axe factories - new work on the sourcing of Neolithic stone axes in Cornwall Andy M. Jones Henrietta Quinnell Roger Taylor 35

Chapter 3 A critical review of Group VI implements and sources: fact and opinion Vin Davis† 54

Chapter 4 North Roe felsite and Shetland's felsite material culture - assemblages from quarry workshops and domestic settlements Torben Ballin 77

Chapter 5 Stone battle axe production in Yorkshire Terry Manby 111

Part 2 Prehistoric Querns: Form and Function

Chapter 6 Sizing up Neolithic saddle querns John Cruse 128

Chapter 7 The significance of quernstones - defining Bell Beaker 'domestic burials' at Amesbury Down, Wiltshire Alistair Barclay Pippa Bradley 148

Chapter 8 The Quernstones of Glastonbury and Meare Susan Watts 166

Chapter 9: 'The famous volcanic rock of the Eifel', was it imported to Britain in Prehistory? Andrew Fitzpatrick 195

Part 3 Other Uses of Stone

Chapter 10 The beach as source and destination Richard Bradley 215

Chapter 11 A re-investigation of British stone 'loomweights' Ruth Shaffrey 229

Chapter 12 Towards a methodology for the study of prehistoric jet and jet-like jewellery Alison Sheridan 249

Chapter 13 Polissoirs: social memory in the Avebury landscape Michele Drisse 275

Chapter 14 More than 'Other Stone' - new methods to analyse prehistoric chalk artefacts Anne Teather 303

Chapter 15 Beaker-age bracers made from Langdale rock: the new find from Cranbrook, Devon in context Fiona Roe† Ann Woodward 322

Bibliography: List of publications Fiona Roe 341

Index 352

Editorial Reviews

The authors of this very well illustrated festschrift for the late Fiona Roe have perfectly encapsulated her interests and, in so doing, furnished readers with a wealth of thought provoking information about items as disparate as maceheads, querns, loom weights and polissoirs… Fiona would have been delighted. She richly deserved this fine festschrift.”

“[ a ] fruitful mix in which geology, style, technology and context, in the landscape and in ancient deposits, are all valued and examined… Well edited, with index.

From the Publisher

[ a ] fruitful mix in which geology, style, technology and context, in the landscape and in ancient deposits, are all valued and examined… Well edited, with index.

British Archaeological Association

The authors of this very well illustrated festschrift for the late Fiona Roe have perfectly encapsulated her interests and, in so doing, furnished readers with a wealth of thought provoking information about items as disparate as maceheads, querns, loom weights and polissoirs… Fiona would have been delighted. She richly deserved this fine festschrift.

Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society