Recommended reading

Do you have an interest in archaeology? Would you like to find out more about buildings and their conservation? Are you keen to find out more about your area? Perhaps you require information for academic research? Or you may just be interested in learning more about the past?

If you would like to learn about archaeology, historic buildings or a specific area or landscape, then a range of resources is available.

Magazines are a very popular way of finding out about current work and issues in the world of heritage. They normally provide readers with a general overview and are becoming increasingly popular. Two magazines that give you a good introduction to archaeology are Current Archaeology and British Archaeology.

More specialist information can be found in periodicals and journals. Journals are generally held at universities and in online archives, and access is usually free to students.

You can also search for articles (but you may need to pay a small fee to read whole items) using websites such as the British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography.

The internet is a great source of information; articles and publications relating to archaeology, history, buildings and landscapes are all readily available.

Kent County Council has also produced a number of publications covering a range of subjects on Kent's past. The Archaeology of Kent to AD800 was published in September 2007. It represents the latest research in archaeology in Kent from the Palaeolithic to Saxon periods and includes contributions from leading academics.

Visit our heritage publications section for more information.

Below is a list of suggested reading, including information about archaeology, buildings, landscapes, as well as reading on Kent, and the past in general.

General reading

Books

Aberg, A. and Lewis, C. 2001. The Rising Tide: Archaeology and Coastal Landscapes. Oxbow Books.
Aston, M. 2002. Interpreting the Landscape from the Air.
Bahn, P, 1996. The Cambridge Illustrated History of Archaeology. Cambridge University Press.
Barker, P. Techniques of Archaeological Excavation, 3rd Edition. BT Batsford Ltd.
Binney, M. 2007. In Search Of The Perfect House: 500 Of The Best Buildings In Britain And Ireland. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Bradley, R. 2007. The Prehistory of Britain and Ireland. Cambridge World Archaeology.
Brunskill, R.W. 2004. Timber Building in Britain (Vernacular Buildings). Orion.
Collis, J, 2001. Digging up the Past: an introduction to archaeological excavation. Sutton.
Crossley , D. 1990. Post-Medieval Archaeology in Britain.
De La Bédoyère, G. 2006. Roman Britain. A New History. Thames and Hudson.
Drewett, P, 1999. Field Archaeology: an introduction. University College London.
Greene, K. 2002. Archaeology: An Introduction (4th edition). Routledge.
Hodder, I, 1999. The Archaeological Process: an introduction.
Johnson, M, 1999. Archaeological Theory: an introduction. Blackwell.
Marsden, P. 2003. Sealed by Time: The Loss and Recovery of the Mary Rose. Mary Rose Trust Ltd.
O'Connor, T, and Evans, J, 1999. Environmental Archaeology. Sutton.
Parker Pearson, M, 1999. The Archaeology of Death and Burial. Tempus.
Ralston, I. and Hunter, J. (eds.) 1998. The Archaeology of Britain: An Introduction from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Industrial Revolution. Routledge.
Renfrew and Bahn. 2008. Archaeology: Theories Methods and Practice (5th edition). Thames and Hudson.
Scarre, C. 2005. The Human Past: World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies. Thames and Hudson.
Stringer, C. 2006. Homo britannicus: The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain. Allen Lane.

Journals

Magazines

Websites

To find out more about Kent's Heritage

Books

Ashbee, P. 2005. Kent in Prehistoric Times. Tempus.
Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2003. Kent Airfields in the Battle of Britain.
Clarke, P (ed.). 2004. The Dover Bronze Age Boat. English Heritage.
Clarke, P (ed.). 2004. The Dover Bonze Age Boat in Context. Society and water transport in prehistoric Europe. Oxbow Books.
Eddison, J. and Gardiner, M. 1998. Romney Marsh Environmental Change and Human Occupation in a Coastal Lowland. Oxford University Committee for Archaeology Monograph vol 46.
Hall, E. 1995. Garden of England: Evolution of Historic Gardens in Kent. Kent County Council and The Kent Gardens Trust.
Moody, G. 2008. The Isle of Thanet from Prehistory to the Norman Conquest. Tempus.
Newman, J. 1983. The Buildings of England: North East and East Kent.
McRae, S. G. and Burnham, C. P. 1973. The Rural Landscape of Kent.
Philp, B. 2002. Archaeology in the Front Line. 50 years of Kent Rescue 1952-2002. Dorchester: Henry King Ltd.
Walton, A. E. 1985. Oasts In Kent 16th - 20th Century: Their Construction and Equipment
Williams, J (ed). 2007. The Archaeology of Kent to AD800. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press.