Abstract

Gloucestershire is one of Britain’s richest counties in terms of its archaeological heritage. Scattered across the high blue hills of the Cotswolds, along the valleys of the Severn, Avon, and Wye, and through the Forest of Dean is wealth of sites and monuments that allow us to understand the many prehistoric communities who once lived, worked, and died there. From the camps and caves occupied by hunter-gatherer groups visiting the area during the last Ice Age, through the long barrows and camps of the first farmers, to the massive hillforts and enclosures built by Celtic chieftains in the centuries before the Roman Conquest, this book charts the story of the landscape and its inhabitants over a period spanning more than half a million years. Drawing on the results of excavations at familiar landmarks such as King Arthur’s Cave, Belas Knap, Hetty Pegler’s Tump, and Uley Bury, the story is enriched by the many new and remarkable discoveries made in recent decades during quarrying and the construction of new roads, houses and factories. Originally published in 1987 this fully updated and expanded second edition will be of interest to local residents, visitors, and those with an interest and love of the county alike.