People and water : a study of the relationship between humans and rivers in the Mesolithic and Neolithic with particular reference to that within the Thames Basin
Rivers and their associated wetlands and lakes form a major component in the landscape and yet discussions concerning their usage in early prehistory are rarely undertaken in Britain and Ireland. Exceptions to this have included the work on the Severn, the Shannon and the Humber estuaries. The Thames forms one of the biggest river systems within England and yet modern writers have undervalued it as a resource of early communities. The work within the Thames basin had been somewhat piecemeal with, until recently, attention being focussed primarily on the non-tidal parts of the river system. A consideration of the Mesolithic period had also not been undertaken. The relationship between hunter-gatherers and early farming communities and freshwater resources is examined within two major themes. The first is that of an economic nature (provider of sustenance and raw materials, communication, transport, choice of settlement site) and the second, experiential/symbolic (ritual deposition, sacred and burial sites, rock art). The two themes are not mutually exclusive and the points of overlap are also considered. Understanding of the archaeological record within the Thames basin is approached by the use of ethnographic
Haughey, F. M.
People and water : a study of the relationship between humans and rivers in the Mesolithic and Neolithic with particular reference to that within the Thames Basin. Rivers and their associated wetlands and lakes form a major component in the landscape and yet discussions concerning their usage in early prehistory are rarely undertaken in Britain and Ireland. Exceptions to this have included the work on the Severn, the Shannon and the Humber estuaries. The Thames forms one of the biggest river systems within England and yet modern writers have undervalued it as a resource of early communities. The work within the Thames basin had been somewhat piecemeal with, until recently, attention being focussed primarily on the non-tidal parts of the river system. A consideration of the Mesolithic period had also not been undertaken. The relationship between hunter-gatherers and early farming communities and freshwater resources is examined within two major themes. The first is that of an economic nature (provider of sustenance and raw materials, communication, transport, choice of settlement site) and the second, experiential/symbolic (ritual deposition, sacred and burial sites, rock art). The two themes are not mutually exclusive and the points of overlap are also considered. Understanding of the archaeological record within the Thames basin is approached by the use of ethnographic
people water study relationship humans river mesolithic_neolithic particular_reference within thames basin associate wetland lake form major_component landscape yet discussion_concern usage early prehistory rarely undertaken britain_ireland include work severn thames form big river system within england yet modern writer resource early community work within thames basin somewhat piecemeal recently attention_focus primarily non part river system consideration mesolithic_period also undertaken relationship hunter_gatherer early_farming community freshwater resource examine within two_major theme first economic nature provider sustenance raw_material communication transport choice settlement_site second experiential symbolic ritual deposition sacred burial_site rock_art two_theme mutually_exclusive point overlap also_consider archaeological_record within thames basin approach use_ethnographic