David Jacques

Join us for a fascinating evening celebrating the publication of Ely-based archaeologist, David Jacques’ groundbreaking research into the origins of Stonehenge. The Stonehenge landscape is one of the most famous prehistoric places in the world, but much about the purpose and origins of the stones remains a mystery and little attention has been paid to what human settlement may have preceded them and influenced their ritual character. However, the exciting excavations conducted David and a largely volunteer team over the last decade at the previously overlooked site of Blick Mead, some 2km from the Henge, have yielded astonishing quantities of worked flint and bone, together with evidence of early cookery and shelter-building extending over a period of some 4,000 years, giving a rich and complex picture of Mesolithic society in the area.

Together with his co-authors, Tom Lyons and Tom Philips, David will be introducing his new book, Blick Mead, an engaging account of excavations and findings to date, tracing the dig’s  evolution from its local community-based origins to its current status as prestigious international research project led by the University of Buckingham and using the latest cutting-edge technology.