Ancient Britain and the Invasions of Julius Caesar

Stone tools, burial sites and disputed sea routes provide the evidence for T. Rice Holmes's account of Britain's distant past. The book follows human life on the island from the earliest periods through the approach of Roman rule. Its chapters cover the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and early Iron Ages, attending to dwellings, farming, trade, ornaments, weapons and religious customs. Archaeological objects serve as clues to changes in daily life and culture.

Alongside that broad history, Holmes examines Julius Caesar's expeditions and the arguments surrounding their geography. A separate part gives extended attention to problems such as Stonehenge, Ictis, the departure port and the landing place. In the extended discussion, tidal currents, distances and coastal visibility become tests of competing claims. Readers interested in the history of archaeology can see how an early twentieth-century scholar builds an argument from physical remains, ancient testimony and close scrutiny of earlier interpretations.