Ritual and Rubbish in the Iron Age of Wessex: A Study of Formation of a Specific Archaeological Record

The author has been a familiar speaker at Theoretical Archaeology Group meetings in Britain for a number of years and his general approach must now be familiar to many people. His specific argument that pit deposits usually interpreted as 'rubbish' are in fact structured in a meaningful way is sure to be of interest to all archaeologists involved with the investigation of middens or faunal 'rubbish' deposits, though taphonomists may remain sceptical. The wider implications for the study of the Iron Age in Britain (especially his historiographical critique of past 'culture-historical' approaches) are also stimulating.