The Modern Antiquarian
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| Author | Julian Cope |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Reference, Gazetteer |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Released | 1 October 1998 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 448 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-7225-3599-6 |
| Followed by | The Megalithic European (2004) |
The Modern Antiquarian: A Pre-Millennial Odyssey Through Megalithic Britain is a book written by musician Julian Cope, published in 1998. It explores the sites of Britain's megalithic heritage, of which Stonehenge and Avebury are well-known examples, but in fact number many hundreds.
In his introduction Cope explains how a visit to Avebury Stone Circle inspired his enthusiasm for the subject, but he was disappointed with the quality of available guidebooks. So he decided to write his own. He personally visited and researched hundreds of sites, selecting about 300 of the most significant for his book. The process took eight years.
The book is divided into two sections, the first being ten essays by Cope about various aspects of megalithic British culture and religion that, though highly enjoyable, may sometimes be academically suspect.
The bulk of the book is a geographically arranged gazetteer of the sites around Britain. Each includes an essay, directions to the site, map references, Cope's own account of his visit, as well as photographs, drawings and (sometimes) poems.
There are some errors here and there. Cross-referencing between this book and Aubrey Burl's Guide (and preferably an Ordnance Survey map) before planning any trips, is advised. A particular strength of the book is that whereas Burl's Guide only deals with stone circles, Cope's includes many other megalithic monuments, hill forts, barrows and just plain odd places.
A documentary film of the same name was made for the BBC in mid-2000.
Based on the guidebook The Modern Antiquarian website was launched in 2000. It invites users to add their own knowledge, experiences and photographs of the ancient sites of Britain and Ireland and currently holds information on over 7,000 sites.
In October 2004 Cope published the follow-up volume The Megalithic European on 300 sites scattered across Europe and Scandinavia.
[edit] See also
- European Megalithic Culture
- Neolithic Europe
- Megalithic Architectural Elements
- Megalith
- Dolmen
- Stone Circles
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Burl, Aubrey. A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995 (ISBN 0-300-06331-8)
- Cope, Julian. The Modern Antiquarian. London: Thorsons, 1998. (ISBN 0-7225-3599-6)
