Beginning with the transition from hunter-gatherer societies in the Neolithic period, this book traces the evolution of agriculture from the initial struggle to engage creatively with the landscape to the full 'agroscape' of the late Iron Age. Much of the evidence for prehistoric agriculture, especially for the late Iron Age, has been subjected to experimental research at the Butser Ancient Farm Research Project in Hampshire, of which the author has been the director; many of the latest results of that research have been incorporated into the text, enhancing theory with practical probability.

Author Biography

Peter J. Reynolds graduated in classics from Trinity College, Dublin, and was involved in rescue and salvage excavation in the City of Worcester and the surrounding area. From 1969-72 he was responsible for setting up a research project in iron age studies at the Avoncroft Museum of Buildings in Bromsgrove. In 1972 he was invited to become the Director of the Butser Ancient Farm Research Project. He gained a PhD from Leicester University in 1978 for his work on the underground storage of grain. He travelled widely in Europe, Africa and America studying comparative ethnography as well as lecturing on experimental archaeology as a major research tool for the future. He is the author of several books and numerous specialist papers on prehistoric agriculture.