author : David R. Abram

Photographs taken above the monuments, often at dawn or sunset, allow uniquely evocative views, showing not only how the sites fit into their surrounding landscapes, but also how they define or respond to the area’s natural character. Stone circles recall lost rituals and religious ceremonies; clusters of burial mounds resolve into beautiful rows aligned with others on the horizon; and Iron Age ramparts take on swirling forms that hint at long-forgotten battles.

The oldest site in the collection was in use more than 800,000 years ago; the most recent in the first century AD. Arranged in roughly chronological order, the photographs are accompanied by explanatory text, with longer introductions illuminating the wider archaeological contexts of each era, from the Palaeolithic to the arrival of the Romans in AD 43.

This is an inspiring way to discover Britain’s extraordinarily rich prehistory, from famous monuments such as Stonehenge and Avebury to lesser-known gems, all captured here in rare, fleeting light and at different times of the year.