Quotes from Francis Pryor

And if any landscape can provide darkness, with a very real hint of menace, it is most surely the Fens.

We have assumed that ancient houses were built like those of today – as weatherproof boxes for living in and raising families. So we have been very anxious to work out where people ate, slept and prepared their meals. It's all about what happened where – and we have discovered a great deal. But revealing where people slept or prepared their food makes little sense if we don't also try to appreciate what it was that motivated them to get out of bed every morning.

No,' I replied. 'You've got it wrong. He was a great prehistorian because he lived his own life to the full. Yes, prehistory is about facts and information, but it's mostly about people and you will never be able to understand the challenges faced by ancient communities if you've led a sheltered life yourself.

When no obvious practical purpose for a possible structure presents itself, archaeologists tend to reach for their explanation of last resort, namely 'ritual', or religion.

the rich smells would soon get them digging with their front feet and the well-defined hearths seen in the excavation trenches would rapidly be disturbed beyond recognition.