Great Britain - General & Miscellaneous History, Archaeology - General & Miscellaneous
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Overview
As a uniquely British phenomenon, the thirty or so figures cut into the turf of southern England have excited antiquarians, archaeologists and the general public for generations. However, their origins are enigmatic. Paul Newman shows how hill-figures reveal Britain's darkest past: Druid massacres, conjectured human sacrifice and strange phallic and pagan rites that in milder form survive even today. This scholarly and comprehensive account of all the recorded hill-figures in England offers not only description but also analysis, discussion and interpretation. In the ten years that have passed since the first edition of this book, much has changed in the world of hill-figure studies, most significantly perhaps the absolute dating by scientific means of early silts incorporated into the Uffington White Horse, which can now be seen to date from around 1000 BC.Editorials
Booknews
While all of the 30 or so chalk hill-figures known in southern England are treated in this book, the focus is on figures from before 1700 whose origins are the subject of conjecture and debate, including the Cerne Giant, the Uffington White Horse, and the Long Man of Wilmington. The author treats the more obscure figures in separate chapters which discuss the site, efforts at preservation, history and interpretation, and the authors views regarding the origins of each figure. Distributed by Books International. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.Book Details
Published
September 1, 1999
Publisher
Stroud : Sutton, 2000.
Pages
224
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780750917926