Lecture 1 - Visiting the Neolithic

When we visit Neolithic site they can appear to be just a load of old stones. But, to an archaeologist, they are fabulously rich in stories of lives from 5,000 years ago. Homes, tombs, stone circles and standing stones, ceremonial landscapes, and even ‘temples’ all speak volumes when you know what to look for. These sites will come vibrantly to life as we discover how to find and understand the many kinds of Neolithic sites you can find in Britain. We see how these archaeological clues give us insights into daily lives at a time when farming dramatically changed our lives for ever. We explore our common humanity over the millennia and we learn to interpret the clues about what life was like 5,000 years ago. We also consider how wide the Neolithic world was, as we glimpse astonishing sites in Ireland, Brittany and even Malta. And, of course, we also discover how to enjoy and appreciate Neolithic items in museums; pottery, flints and so much more.