Peter J. Reynolds (1939–2001)

An essay on the development of farming through the neolithic, bronze and iron ages in Britain.

It was interesting to read about archaeologists logical reasoning for certain assertions, such as whilst there is no record of a paddock hedge fence, one may find a unreasonably heavy strip of snail shells from which they are able to infer there was a dense shrub running along the edge of a field for many years, aka a hedge.

In terms of farming methods it's covered in basic detail but if one if particularly interested in such a more lengthy volume would no doubt provide more detail.… (mehr)

Farming In The Iron Age is part of the Cambridge Introduction To The History of Mankind series; this series is geared to younger readers and as such is rather short and straight forward.

That being said it is not short on detail or interest; it contains a variety of information on early farming techniques from the Iron Age as well as some botanical information which I have actually not found in other books I have read such as details on the food crop Melde (chenopodium album).

Overall, a dated & short but still interesting 1970s look into Iron Age farming.… (mehr)