Strongholds of the Picts: The fortifications of Dark Age Scotland

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

When the Romans withdrew from Britain, the north of the country was ruled by the most mysterious of the ancient British races, the Picts. Much of what is known about these painted warriors, comes from the remains of the fortifications that they left scattered around Scotland. Although the Picts are famous as sea raiders, they were also subjected to attacks from a number of opponents. To their south, the Romano-British reoccupied the abandoned Roman fortifications and hired Saxon mercenaries to strike against the Picts. Meanwhile, from the west a new group, the Scoti, attacked from Ireland. This book covers the fortification of the ancient Picts in all their conflicts and discusses the importance of these sites as religious centres and seats of power, while using the latest archeological evidence to help unravel the mystery of this ancient race.

Reviews

"Angus Konstam's Strongholds is a delightful pamphlet, engagingly written, copiously illustrated with excellent maps and reconstructions, and a good reading list." --Antiquity (December 2011)

"An excellent look at the life and struggles of the Pictish Clans after the departure of the Romans in AD 410... The book features many illustrations and photographs, including many in color, from several different archives and the author's own collection." --History Magazine (April/May 2010)

Author Bio

Angus Konstam is a highly respected historian, and the author of more than 40 Osprey books, including The Forts of Celtic Britain and British Forts in the Age of Arthur. Titles for other publishers include Sovereigns of the Seas, There was a Soldier and The World Atlas of Pirates. A former archaeologist, naval officer and museum professional, Angus has served as Curator of Weapons at the Tower of London and Chief Curator of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. As well as being a widely published military and naval historian, Angus is also passionate about the history and archaeology of Early Historic Scotland, a fascination dating back to his days as a history and archaeology student in Aberdeen and St Andrews. He now works as a full-time author and historian, and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. www.anguskonstam.com