If prehistory is defined by stones, why do we know so little about them? The influence of geology on prehistory in the north of England
Lecture
Ian Jackson
Room G.05, Percy Building, Newcastle University
Description
Lecture by Ian Jackson, followed by a book signing. The offer of a 15% discount on his book Defined By Stones remains open to 15 April; put the code NCLA15 into the order form on Northern Heritage’s website.
Stone defined our ancestors. Without it they could not shelter, hunt, farm, or light fire. It was essential to their daily lives but also central to their beliefs. Rocks are prehistory's most persistent and often only record. This talk will reveal just how connected prehistoric societies were to the natural landscape of Northern England and how reliant they were on its rocks.
Rocks shaped the northern landscape and influenced how early humans lived and exploited the resources it offered. Using examples from across the region, the talk will describe the intimate relationship those early societies had with their landscape. But it will also explore the relationship between the two disciplines that attempt to understand this hybrid domain - is there constructive overlap or is it no-man’s land? What do archaeology and geology share, and how do they differ?