Wessex Culture

Wessex Culture

Monday 2 January 2012

FICTION SET IN PREHISTORIC BRITAIN

Novels set in Britain's various historical phases are very common,especially those dealing with the medieval era through to the Georgian era. However, prehistory is a different story. A few 'celtic' novels and much Roman/Arthurian fiction exists, but the earlier eras are disapppointingly absent in literature, particularly the neolithic and bronze ages. Obviously some would say this is because there is so much subjecture about this period, but that is also true of earlier  periods and there is a plethora of  paleolithic/mesolithic fiction set in Europe ala 'Clan of the cave Bear' and its many imitators. Stonehenge is an iconic image all around the world but you can count the novels about it on one hand, and, oddly enough, several of those seem to be written by people jumping on the 'Clan of the Cave Bear' bandwagon in the 80's, and who had no real knowledge of the monument or its people--and it showed.A few authors did do some research but slightly spoiled it by giving names such as 'Peterborough Ware' people to the tribes in their books--these are archaeological terms,  not what people would have called themselves!
   Recently, many new fascinating new items about ancient Britain have hit the headlines--the huge settlement at Durrington walls and its massive midwinter feasts; West Amesbury henge which is at the end of the Stonehenge avenue, by the Avon; the definitive dating of the Marlborough mound as neolithic, a mini Silbury; the incredible painted temple complex just unearthed in Orkney. Hopefully, some of these finds will soon inspire good modern  writers to produce some books set in the neolithic and bronze ages!
(Or maybe I'll just have to write them myself!!)