The tribe of the Durotriges was listed by the Greek geographer Ptolemy in the second century AD. Traditionally it has been believed that the Durotrigans formed an Iron Age tribe whose territory included Dorset and parts of neighboring Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire. This book brings together new evidence to suggest that the Durotrigan nation was made up of fiercely independent baronies rather than a unified state. The prolific number of hillforts built during this period and still visible in many cases today bears testament to this disparate state. Maiden Hill, the largest hillfort in Britain, witnessed a bloody battle in AD43 when the Romans under Vespasian fought the Durotrigans to effectively claim the Battle for Britain. For the first time, the evidence for the Durotriges is made accessible to undergraduates and amateur archaeologists, those interested in the history of their area, and anyone who has visited the numerous grand hillforts and would like to know more about how they came to exist.

Fonthill, in Wiltshire, is traditionally associated with the writer and collector William Beckford who built his Gothic fantasy house called Fonthill Abbey at the end of the eighteenth century. The collapse of the Abbey’s tower in 1825 transformed the name Fonthill into a symbol for overarching ambition and folly, a sublime ruin. Fonthill is, however, much more than the story of one man’s excesses. Beckford’s Abbey is only one of several important houses to be built on the estate since the early sixteenth century, all of them eventually consumed by fire or deliberately demolished, and all of them oddly forgotten by historians. Little now remains: a tower, a stable block, a kitchen range, some dressed stone, an indentation in a field. Fonthill Recovered draws on histories of art and architecture, politics and economics to explore the rich cultural history of this famous Wiltshire estate. The first half of the book traces the occupation of Fonthill from the Bronze Age to the twenty-first century. Some of the owners surpassed Beckford in terms of their wealth, their collections, their political power and even, in one case, their sexual misdemeanours. They include Charles I’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the richest commoner in the nineteenth century. The second half of the book consists of essays on specific topics, filling out such crucial areas as the complex history of the designed landscape, the sources of the Beckfords’ wealth and their collections, and one essay that features the most recent appearance of the Abbey in a video game.

Processes of Cultural Change and Integration in the Roman World is a collection of studies on the mechanisms by which interaction occurred between Rome and the peoples that became part of its Empire between c. 300 BC and AD 300.

Ptolemy's second century geography is the main source traditionally used when dividing pre-Roman Britain into tribal areas. In it he describes the Durotriges as inhabiting Dorset and parts of Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. This large-scale study surveys the 'Durotrigan zone' in Dorset looking at settlement patterns and types, ceramics and coin distribution to ask whether the Durotriges can be considered as a homogenous entity as presented by Ptolemy. In fact settlement forms showed considerable diversity, which can also be seen in differing burial customs and belief systems, and Papworth ultimately sees the area as being inhabited by co-existing, but distinct communities. Coin evidence, however shows that particularly towards the end of the pre-Roman period the communities were linked together, probably in a form of trading block.

Available together in one ebook volume for the first time, three of Simon Scarrow's action-packed novels of the mighty Roman army. Introducing heroes Macro and Cato - for everyone who loves tales of courage and camaraderie from the days of the Roman Empire IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME Praise for the Eagles of the Empire novels: 'I really don't need this kind of competition... It's a great read' Bernard Cornwell 'Rollicking good fun' Mail on Sunday 'It's Spartacus meets Master and Commander in this rip-roaring, thoroughly entertaining tale of swashbuckling adventure from one of the most exciting writers of historical fiction' Scottish Daily Record UNDER THE EAGLE (Eagles of the Empire I) AD 42, Germany. New recruit Cato is finding life in the Roman Second Legion brutal. Promoted above his comrades thanks to his connections, he's resented by the other men. He could really use a friend amongst his fellow soldiers right now. A brave and determined soldier, Cato quickly earns the respect of his Centurion, Macro, a battle-hardened veteran. On a campaign to Britannia - a land of utter barbarity - an enduring friendship begins. But as they battle to thwart a conspiracy against the Emperor the men find themselves in a desperate fight to survive... THE EAGLE'S CONQUEST (Eagles of the Empire II) Britannia, AD 43. Britannia is bleak, rainy and full of vicious savages. As right-hand man to Centurion Macro, young soldier Cato battles alongside his commander in bloodier combat than he could ever have imagined. But the Britons are fighting back with Roman weapons - which means someone in their own ranks is supplying arms to the enemy. Cato and Macro are about to discover even deadlier adversaries than the British barbarians... WHEN THE EAGLE HUNTS (Eagles of the Empire III) Britannia, AD 44. Cato and Macro are pawns in Rome's lust to conquer Britain. During the freezing winter, the two men and their legion fight the bloodthirsty natives in hand-to-hand battles that haunt Cato for days afterwards. But in a place full of enemies, the most vicious are the Druids of the Dark Moon; brutal men who have captured the wife and children of General Plautius. Macro and Cato must travel deep into enemy territory and recover the hostages. The fate of the Roman army depends on the outcome... Readers love Simon Scarrow's Eagles of the Empire novels: 'Absolutely fantastic series' 'What an amazing book, honestly cannot recommend this enough' 'I have read the whole series, and am now starting to re-read them. Thoroughly enjoyable' 'Simon Scarrow's characters are superb and realistic'

Well-paced and intricately plotted, When the Eagle Hunts is a brazen tale of military adventure, political intrigue, and a suicide mission. Is the unflinching courage of the Roman army a match for the ruthless barbarity of the British tribes? In the bitter winter of a.d. 44, the Roman troops in Britain are impatiently awaiting the arrival of spring so that the campaign to conquer the island can be renewed. But the native Britons are growing more cunning in their resistance, constantly snapping at the heels of the mighty Roman forces. When the most brutal of the native tribesmen, the Druids of the Dark Moon, capture the shipwrecked wife and children of General Plautius, quick action is called for. Two volunteers from the crack Second Legion must venture deep into hostile territory in a desperate attempt to rescue the prisoners.

"Bodies and graves present a unique and exciting aspect of archaeology, providing much information about social status through the quality and quantity of goods found in graves and tombs. This book surveys the great variety of this archaeological form from around the world, from the earliest fossil humans to the royal burials of Ur and the victims of the Battle of Little Bighorn, and explores what it is they have to tell us about the lives and deaths of our ancestors". --Amazon.com.