Book description
Leading archaeologist Francis Pryor retells the story of King Arthur,
legendary king of the Britons, tracing it back to its Bronze Age origins.
The legend of King Arthur and Camelot is one of the most enduring in
Britain's history, spanning centuries and surviving invasions by Angles,
Vikings and Normans. In his latest book Francis Pryor - one of Britain's
most celebrated archaeologists and author of the acclaimed 'Britain B.
C.' and 'Seahenge' - traces the story of Arthur back to its ancient
origins. Putting forth the compelling idea that most of the key elements
of the Arthurian legends are deeply rooted in Bronze and Iron Ages (the
sword Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, the Sword in the Stone and so
on), Pryor argues that the legends' survival mirrors a flourishing,
indigenous culture that endured through the Roman occupation of Britain,
and the subsequent invasions of the so-called Dark Ages.
As in 'Britain B. C.', Pryor roots his story in the very landscape,
from Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, to South Cadbury Castle in Somerset and
Tintagel in Cornwall. He traces the story back to the 5th-century King
Arthur and beyond, all the time testing his ideas with archaeological
evidence, and showing how the story was manipulated through the ages for
various historical and literary purposes, by Geoffrey of Monmouth and
Malory, among others.
Delving into history, literary sources - ancient, medieval and romantic
- and archaeological research, Francis Pryor creates an original, lively
and illuminating account of this most British of legends.
'Controversial deceptively clever and a damn good read.' BBC History Magazine
Praise for 'Britain B. C.':
'Francis Pryor has given us a remarkable, imaginative and persuasive
account of those other Britons…its enthusiastic and confident approach
deserves to be very influential.' TLS
'A compulsive narrative intertwining prehistory, the excitement of
discovery and personalities. It bounds along, wonderfully enlivened by
Pryor's earthy enthusiasm.' New Scientist
Praise for 'Seahenge':
'A magnificent book…a vivid story, superbly told. It gives a
wonderfully clear explanation of how archaeology works, written in plain
language which all can understand and enjoy.' Magnus Magnusson Dr
Francis Pryor has spent thirty years studying the prehistory of the
Fens. He has excavated sites as diverse as Bronze Age farms, field
systems and entire Iron Age villages. From 1980 he turned his attention
to pre-Roman religion and has excavated barrows, 'henges', and a large
ceremonial centre dating to 3800 bc. In 1982, while working in a
drainage dyke at Flag Fen, on the outskirts of Peterborough, he
discovered the waterlogged timbers of a Bronze Age religious site. In
1987, with his wife Maisie Taylor, he set up the Fenland Archaeological
Trust, which opened Flag Fen to the public.
