This is an introduction for the general reader, looking at the archaeology of Europe in the last prehistoric period before the Roman conquest (from c800 BC to AD 43). The archaeological collection of the Ashmolean Museums are used to illustrate a series of themes about the lives and deaths of people at this time, their appearance, clothes and ornaments, their economy and trade, how they produced and consumed their food, and the warfare of the period as shown through weapons. The collection at the Ashmolean owes much to Sir John Evans. The excavations and objects from the important early Iron Age cemetery of Hallstatt, Austria, some of which were excavated by Sir John, are covered in some detail. The text is lavishly supplemented by colour illustrations, particularly of exhibits from the Ashmolean Department of Antiquities.

Jennifer Foster is an honorary fellow in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading.