"From the earliest evidence of human aggression to the modern era of sophisticated warfare, this book covers the archaeological aspects of war in the landscape using a multi-period thematic approach incorporating worldwide material." "The book discusses the evidence for warfare from Ancient Sumeria to the fall of the Roman Empire in the west and then concentrates on the form and types of defences adopted by different cultures and communities from the level of family protection up to that of national defence, using the archaeology of Britain as a major source of evidence." "Drawing on a wide variety of research including excavated evidence, historical sources and in some cases oral testimony, the authors analyse the importance of archaeology as a tool for interpretation and take a close look at the influence of terrain in some specially chosen military campaigns across the globe. The patterns of warfare which repeat themselves in the forms of arms races and technological advances from prehistory to the present are examined in terms of the cycles of aggressive and defensive measures, and case studies are used to exemplify how and why territorial frontiers were held or lost in different periods."--BOOK JACKET.