- Hardcover: 416 pages
- Publisher: Century; First Edition edition (22 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0712679545
- ISBN-13: 978-0712679541
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.8 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 824,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Hengeworld
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
From an archaeologist and co-author of Fairweather Eden (on the Boxgrove excavations), comes a book that takes us from hard facts to speculation on prehistoric minds. Mike Pitts' Hengeworld unites societies of different dates, places and pottery styles by the action of building "circular enclosed spaces", seeking to "confront real people" from that henge-building Neolithic world. Dealing principally, but far from exclusively, with Stonehenge and Avebury, Hengeworld asks the usual questions concerning how they were built, how they looked in their time and the extent to which astronomy and religion had a part in their purpose. Combining reports of his own digs and new research with a re-examination of evidence gathered in the past, Mike Pitts also makes some significant new discoveries and solves some intriguing mysteries from the recent history of archaeological excavation along the way. Probing beyond the material world, he suggests "new contexts" for Stonehenge which "envisage metaphor and symbol". Hengeworld is supported by clear diagrams and well-documented evidence: there are over 75 pages of appended radiocarbon date tables, notes and bibliographic information. But Mike Pitts also tells a good story, ably capturing the excitement of new discoveries with an almost chatty writing style and touches of humour and suspense. This is a book which amateurs and professionals alike should find valuable and evocative. --Karen Tiley
Review
"Reads like a...whodunit." - "Manchester Evening News
"Mike Pitts is that rare thing, an archaeologist who not only makes the news...but who can also write it. This book is a gem -- witty, charming, urbane, informative." - Simon Denison, "British Archaeology
"Mike Pitts is that rare thing, an archaeologist who not only makes the news...but who can also write it. This book is a gem -- witty, charming, urbane, informative." - Simon Denison, "British Archaeology
"From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Archaeology is terribly fashionable at the moment, as witnessed by such TV programmes as TIME TEAM and MEET THE ANCESTORS, but rarely do books on the subject generate the same enthusiasm in the reader. I am happy to say that this is a rare exception.
Mike Pitts obviously knows his subject, and so he should when you consider his biography, but, unlike so many other archaeologists who put down the trowel in favour of the pen, he also has the knack of being able to write entertainingly about it. I am not suggesting that this is a book that has been 'dumbed down', far from it. However, Pitts manages to educate the reader without swamping his text in archaeological jargon and, at one and the same time, make you want to keep on turning the page.
Admitedly, with such subject matter the author already had a headstart but, having recently read several other similar works, it would have been all too easy to go wrong. Pitts achieves an enviable balance. This is how archaeology should be presented to the public.
Matthew Champion.
Mike Pitts obviously knows his subject, and so he should when you consider his biography, but, unlike so many other archaeologists who put down the trowel in favour of the pen, he also has the knack of being able to write entertainingly about it. I am not suggesting that this is a book that has been 'dumbed down', far from it. However, Pitts manages to educate the reader without swamping his text in archaeological jargon and, at one and the same time, make you want to keep on turning the page.
Admitedly, with such subject matter the author already had a headstart but, having recently read several other similar works, it would have been all too easy to go wrong. Pitts achieves an enviable balance. This is how archaeology should be presented to the public.
Matthew Champion.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mike Pitts is a card-carrying proper, professional archaeologist. As such he is qualified to write the kind of definitive, dry survey of henge-building and its anthropological context that would have you dozing off in minutes. Instead, he has given us a book that rips along, full of zest and fascination, without succumbing to any of the baseless speculation or circular arguments that we would have found in a book by a mere journalist.
By now, Hengeworld is already a classic, and no doubt generations of archaeology students have thanked Mr Pitts from the bottom of their hearts for lightening heir load. Having said that, the casual reader, seeing the rather "tabloidy" presentation, with the catchy title and dramatic cover photography, might make the mistake of thinking this is a volume of sensationalist speculation. Arrow Books, the paperback publishers of "Hengeworld", do rather specialise in that sort of thing, after all.
Be under no illusions. Despite its accessible style and thrilling anecdotes, this is a serious book and you will, once you have read it, have a surprisingly good understanding of the world of our ancestors. It is suitable for all ages and readers, from interested schoolchildren upwards. There aren't that many illustrations, but what there are, are useful, and the author's lucid style makes his explanations and descriptions easy to follow.
By now, Hengeworld is already a classic, and no doubt generations of archaeology students have thanked Mr Pitts from the bottom of their hearts for lightening heir load. Having said that, the casual reader, seeing the rather "tabloidy" presentation, with the catchy title and dramatic cover photography, might make the mistake of thinking this is a volume of sensationalist speculation. Arrow Books, the paperback publishers of "Hengeworld", do rather specialise in that sort of thing, after all.
Be under no illusions. Despite its accessible style and thrilling anecdotes, this is a serious book and you will, once you have read it, have a surprisingly good understanding of the world of our ancestors. It is suitable for all ages and readers, from interested schoolchildren upwards. There aren't that many illustrations, but what there are, are useful, and the author's lucid style makes his explanations and descriptions easy to follow.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Archaeology is often accused of being a dry subject, and many books in the field seem sadly to conform to this archaism. Particularly for the beginner or the enthusiastic amateur, the heavy language and endless data can be somewhat overwhelming. Hengeworld is a welcome publication in that it captures all the raw imaginative energy of the subject, tapping the veins of what it is that most gets people worked up about 'bones and stones', yet still maintains the scholarly approach for those who can appreciate the science. As such it is a perfect read for anyone with a fascination with this period in human history. Mike Pitts' written style (previously so eloquently showcased in 'Fairweather Eden') is a perfect balance of the scholarly and the familiar, and he really makes the history and archaeology of the period he has termed Hengeworld come to life, telling a story with gathering pace with all the elan of a bestselling novelist. Un-put-down-able archaeology? Yes, it can happen!
Whatever your interest or your level of archaeological expertise, 'Hengeworld' has an obvious appeal. It provides thought-provoking propositions backed up by solid research, and is eminently easy to read without 'dumbing down' on the technicalities. Mike clearly has a passion for his Hengeworld, a quality that shines through in his writing and enlivens this story of past millennia in a profoundly evocative way, and his being the only living archaeologist to have dug at both Avebury and Stonehenge makes him the ideal choice to have produced this impressive and fascinating book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Easily digested review of what is known about henge monuments
I read this to get a quick background on henges before taking my American family members to see Stonehenge. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2007 by ManderW
Disappointing - could have been so much better
The author clearly knows a lot about the subject, but can't decide whether to describe the history of henges or the history of the history of henges. Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2007 by Arabanija
A stone drag[ged]
You're the honoured guest at Mike Pitts' party. He's set up a receiving line. You meet a guest, are given some personal background, there's a bit of chat, perhaps a short show... Read more
Published on 6 April 2003 by Stephen A. Haines
A scholarly page-turner!
Pitts' book gives a thorough and accurate picture of the present archaeological knowledge of Neolithic ritual monuments,especially Stonehenge. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2001
the anthropology of archeologists, not neolithic peoples
There's a great book to be written about the new views of Stonehenge. This isn't it. It's a rather long-winded discussion of the squabbles of academics about the minutiae of... Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2001 by Brian Millar
Strictly for enthusiasts
A menhir fest for archeology afficiandos, Pitts provides an immensely detailed chronological account of excavations at Stonehenge, Avebury and Woodhenge and comparisons with lesser... Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2001 by "dionemco"
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