author : Joshua Pollard

The 30 commissioned papers provide a major contribution to prehistory and cover the range of themes addressed by Richard’s own extensive research. Leading scholars discuss key themes in prehistoric archaeology that have defined Richard’s career, such as monumentality, memory, rock art, landscape, material worlds and field practice. The scope is broad, covering both Britain and Europe, and while the focus is very much on the archaeology of later prehistory, papers also address the interconnection between prehistory and historic and contemporary archaeology.

The result is a rich and varied tribute to Richard’s energy and intellectual inspiration.

Several papers discuss new scientific approaches to key questions in Neolithic research, while others offer interpretive accounts of aspects of the archaeological record. Thematically, the main foci are on Neolithisation; the archaeology of Neolithic daily life, settlements and subsistence; as well as monuments and aspects of worldview. A number of contributions highlight the recent impact of techniques such as isotopic analysis and statistically modelled radiocarbon dates on our understanding of mobility, diet, lifestyles, events and historical processes. All authors acknowledge the enormous contribution of Alasdair to Neolithic studies and celebrate his rich career in archaeology.