Background to Beakers is the result of an inspiring session at the yearly conference of European Association of Archaeologists in The Hague in September 2010. The conference brought together thirteen speakers on the subject Beakers in Transition. Together we explored the background to the Bell beaker complex in different regions, departing from the idea that migration is not the comprehensive solution to the adoption of bell Beakers. Therefore we asked the participants to discuss how in their region Beakers were incorporated in existing cultural complexes, as one of the manners to understand the processes of innovation that were undoubtedly part of the Beaker complex. In this book eight of the speakers have contributed papers, resulting in a diverse and interesting approach to Beakers. We can see how scholars in Scandinavia, the Low Countries, Poland, Switzerland, France, Morocco even, struggle with the same problems, but have different solutions everywhere. The book reads as an inspiration for new approaches and for a discussion of cultural backgrounds in stead of searching for the oldest Beaker. The authors are all established scholars in the field of Bronze Age research.

This volume presents combined proceedings of two complementary sessions of the XVIII UISPP World Congress (Paris, 2018). These sessions aimed to identify demographic variations during the Neolithic and Bronze Age and to question their causes while avoiding the potential taphonomic and chronological biases affecting the documentation.

These papers highlight recent archaeological work in Northern England, in the commercial, academic and community archaeology sectors, which have fundamentally changed our perspective on the Neolithic of the area. Much of this was new work (and much is still not published) has been overlooked in the national discourse. The papers cover a wide geographical area, from Lancashire north into the Scottish Lowlands, recognising the irrelevance of the England/Scotland Border. They also take abroad chronological sweep, from the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition to the introduction of Beakers into the area. The key themes are: the nature of transition; the need for a much-improved chronological framework; regional variation linked to landscape character; links within northern England and with distant places; the implications of new dating for our understanding ‘the axe trade; the changing nature of settlement and agriculture; the character early Neolithic enclosures; the need to integrate rock art into wider discourse.

The cutting-edge new edition of the classic introduction to radioactive measurement Gammy-Ray Spectrometry is a key technique in the study of radioactive decay. It measures the rate and extent of radioactivity from a variety of sources, both natural and artificial, including cosmic ray sources, nuclear reactors, high-energy physics experiments, and more. The resulting data can be essential to environmental monitoring and to a range of experimental sciences. For years, Practical Gamma-Ray Spectrometry has served as the classic introduction to this area for current or aspiring practitioners. A comprehensive but accessible treatment of the subject, with a thorough discussion of all major classes of detectors and their associated electronic systems, it contains everything a researcher needs to make optimal gamma-ray measurements. Now fully updated to reflect the latest technology and experimental data, it is a must-own for researchers looking to incorporate gamma-ray spectrometry into their scientific practice. Readers of the third edition of Practical Gamma-Ray Spectrometry will also find: Fault-finding guide for rapid and effective problem resolution Workshop-style approach emphasizing the fundamentals of laboratory practice New sections dealing with novel developments in nuclear structure research, measuring effects of pollution and climate change, new semiconductor detectors, and more Practical Gamma-Ray Spectrometry is ideal for PhD students and practicing gamma-ray spectroscopists, including researchers working on radiation, energy and environmental monitoring professionals, and researchers working in physics, archaeometry, and related subjects.

This book investigates how local communities across Europe adopt the Bell Beaker phenomenon during the 3rd millennium BC.

This book presents the results of a major project that sought to address a century-old question about the people who were buried with Beakers - the distinctive pottery of Continental origin that was current, predominantly in equally distinctive burials, in Britain from around 2450 BC. Who were these people? Were they immigrants and how far did they move around? What did they eat? What was their lifestyle? How do they compare with Britain's earlier inhabitants and with contemporaries who did not use Beaker pottery? An international team of leading archaeologists and scientists, led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson, was assembled to address these questions. Overall, new light has been shed on 369 people: 333 Beaker and non-Beaker users from the core 2500-1500 BC period, along with 17 from the Neolithic and 19 from after 1500 BC. While the genetic data provide convincing evidence for immigration by Continental Beaker users, the isotopic data indicate a more detailed picture of movements, mostly of fairly short distances within Britain, by the descendants of the first Beaker users. This lavishly illustrated book presents a body of data that will be vital to studies of Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain for decades to come.