Buried

An alternative history of the first millennium in Britain

By: Alice Roberts

Narrated by: Alice Roberts

Funerary rituals show us what people thought about mortality; how they felt about loss; what they believed came next. From Roman cremations and graveside feasts, to deviant burials with heads rearranged, from richly furnished Anglo Saxon graves to the first Christian burial grounds in Wales, Buried provides an alternative history of the first millennium in Britain. As she did with her pre-history of Britain in Ancestors, Professor Alice Roberts combines archaeological finds with cutting-edge DNA research and written history to shed fresh light on how people lived: by examining the stories of the dead.

PRE-ORDER CRYPT, THE FINAL BOOK IN ALICE ROBERTS' BRILLIANT TRILOGY – OUT FEBRUARY 2024.

Critic reviews

'Buried is a tender, fascinating act of listening –– of listening to the tales the dead have to tell us about the landscapes we share with them, the histories we have constructed around them, and the futures we imagine for ourselves. Lucid and illuminating, Alice Roberts here opens new perspectives on to first-millennium Britain, from the appearance of churchyards in the sixth century, to Romano-British 'decapitation' burial practices. I learned so much from this book, and hearing my description of Alice's excavations and investigations, my nine-year-old confirmed absolutely his ambition to become an aDNA (ancient DNA) scientist when he grows up.' (Robert Macfarlane)

‘Roberts’s legions of fans will find themselves delighted by a book that is both accessible and expert, wears deep learning lightly, and provides a solid introduction to an often murky age in Britain’s early medieval past.’

‘Intriguing and informative [….] Fascinating’

Archaeology offers a different history of Britain

This is a really interesting book. Alice Roberts explains why the most recent archaeology of Britain provides insights that challenge the conventional ideas about the eras of Roman Britain, the withdrawal and collapse after the Romans, and the invasion and rise of Anglo-Saxon Britain. She argues that consistency rather than change is the dominant feature in the archeology record from the Iron Age through the Anglo-Saxon period. However, she documents in fascinating detail those things that change from one era to another and contrasts those things that don't change. You come away with a better sense of how history changes people and their cultures and how, at the same time, people manage to stay the same as they always were.

Digging for History

Alice Roberts brings an interesting look at Britain, and some of the different theories around the history and changes to history. Bringing a fresh perspective to the mix, the history of Britain has been shrouded in some controversy - mostly around the Romans and their times in the isles.

This was a great read. I did find as I was going through that I didn't agree with everything, based on a historical background, but there was some convincing evidence for other aspects. It was one of those books that you need a highlighter for, and maybe some sticky notes for further research.

Looking forward to reading some other titles from this author.