This thesis evaluates man's physical imprint on the natural landscape of North Wales in the prehistoric period and considers what imprint remains from his activities. Man's imprint can be classed under four main headings, namely, that arising from domestic, ritual, economic and defensive activities. Such diverse activities afford opportunities to consider multiple features together, thereby illuminating coordinated action between regions and emerging tribal groups. The investigations have emphasised the importance of open coastal and estuarine landfalls, from the Neolithic period onwards, and routes leading inland from them, especially along river valleys. Settlements tended to form clusters along them, the research suggesting that the earliest small upland sites were probably of the Beaker period. Late Neolithic and Bronze Age ritual is well attested, but the research also reveals the ritual importance of watersheds and running water in these periods. Constructional skills developed rapidly, even to developing an architectural awareness. A consideration of structures from the Bronze and Iron Ages suggested guidelines for distinguishing between unexcavated, and therefore not otherwise dated, structures from these periods. Some buildings, together with some other factors, strongly suggest the practice of transhumance in North Wales from as early as the Neolithic; while the layout of some settlements, believed to be Iron Age, suggest the development of partible inheritance among families, with the consequent multiple sub-division of land.Research into the siting of hill-forts has revealed observational and defensive networks, both coastal and inland, including along some identifiable tribal boundaries. Some hill-forts are now seen to have been collecting points and storage depots for goods, temporarily held for onward transmission, or for longer periods for redistribution, perhaps for other tribes as well as for local groups. These investigations suggest that the North Wales landscape, excluding the effects of modem industry and mechanized farming, with their attendant land enclosures, had changed little since prehistoric times and the pattern of the ancient landscape can still be discerned.

This submission for a PhD BY published work examines archaeological historiography and lithic artefact studies concerning aspects of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic archaeology of Wales. The critical analysis connects the published works through the theoretical approach of biography. It draws out themes of archaeological, straigraphic and museum context where appropriate. The critical analysis commences with an examination of publications concerning the history of research at Palaeolithic cave sites in Wales. It identifies the sources and methodologies used then analyses their effectiveness for presenting histories of caves. The historiography of lithic artefact studies is then examined before an analysis is offered of the methodological approaches of technology, chronology, typology and the chaine operatoire as used in the published works. By applying the concept that artefacts have biographies, the archaeological context for individual and surface assemblages of lithic artefacts is explored. This leads to a discussion of archaeological projects and examines the fieldwork techniques adopted in the publications to elucidate archaeological context. There is an examination of the factors that influence the resulting archive and a discussion of its use as a resource for determining past work at archaeological sites. By exploring thesetopics the concept of biographies of people, places , artefacts and projects emerges. These biographies are drawn together into an assessment of their use for presenting archaeological narratives for regions of Wales. The final conclusions draw the aims of the critical analysis of the published works together before offering concluding thoughts about the continuation of antiquarian traditions in collecting lithic artefacts across Wales.

This thesis contributes an original approach to the understanding of human-object relations at funerary and ceremonial sites during the period c.2200 BC - 1400 BC within Wales. A primary review of archaeological work within this region contextualises this thesis and challenges the notion that this area is materially-poor during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Drawing on existing excavation reports and archived material, a database of archaeological sites detailing context and material culture was created. Additionally a calibrated set of dates, was mapped against architectural, depositional and material practice. These data sets provided the opportunity to compare different Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age archaeological features in terms of the character and variety of associated objects and materials. Analysis of this data has illustrated key contrasts and similarities in the treatment of material culture across architecturally distinct ceremonial and funerary site types. This interpretation is framed by a discussion of materiality, arguing for a model which is located in past perspectives rather than a deconstruction of Western material values. Materiality is explored as a contextual, often learned understanding of the world, which is not restricted to the physical qualities of materials. Potential concepts of materiality were considered with particular attention given to the treatment of human remains in funerary and ceremonial contexts. The result of this thesis is an enhanced understanding of depositional practices and their role in the construction, use and perception of funerary and ceremonial sites within the Early Bronze Age of Wales.