Ancient Britain Archaeological Index

An archive documenting Britain's prehistoric human landscape, from Neolithic monuments to Iron Age hillforts

Preserving Britain's Ancient Legacy

The Ancient Britain Archaeological Index is a non-profit project dedicated to documenting, archiving, and sharing data on Britain's prehistoric landscape from the Mesolithic to the late Iron Age.

Megalithic Engineering

Documentation of stone circles, henges, and ceremonial monuments from Stonehenge to the Ring of Brodgar, looking at their astronomical alignments and how they were built.

Iron Age Settlements

Surveys of hillforts, oppida, and tribal territories across Britain, from Maiden Castle's ramparts to the defences of Old Oswestry.

Celtic Artistry

Tracking the evolution of La Tène art styles, from early Hallstatt influences to Romano-British synthesis, and the legacy of Celtic metalwork and pottery.

Recent Archaeological Discoveries

New finds from across the British Isles keep changing what we know about prehistoric life

Archaeological Database

Our comprehensive archive spans millennia of British prehistory

15,400 Catalogued Sites
3,200 Years of History
8,750 Artefact Records
240 Active Excavations

Timeline of British Prehistory

Tracing the development of ancient civilizations across the British Isles

c. 4000-2500 BCE

Neolithic Revolution

The arrival of farming communities and the construction of the first major stone monuments, including Stonehenge's initial earthwork phase and the remarkable preservation of Skara Brae in Orkney.

c. 2500-800 BCE

Bronze Age Innovation

The Beaker culture transforms British society with metallurgy, individual burial practices in round barrows, and sophisticated goldwork exemplified by the Mold Cape and numerous torc discoveries.

c. 800 BCE-43 CE

Iron Age Societies

The emergence of complex tribal kingdoms, massive hillfort construction, Celtic art traditions, and the development of proto-urban oppida before Roman conquest.

Featured Field Report

Latest findings from our ongoing excavation projects

Archaeological team conducting geophysical survey at Old Oswestry Hillfort
October 2023 Shropshire Dr. Eleanor Vance

Georadar Survey at Old Oswestry Hillfort

Ground-penetrating radar has revealed previously unknown internal structures within the hillfort's complex rampart system, suggesting multiple phases of construction spanning the late Bronze Age through to the early Roman period. The survey identifies what appears to be a substantial timber-framed gateway and evidence of organised settlement within the inner enclosure.

Read Full Report

Contribute to Archaeological Knowledge

Join our community of researchers, students, and heritage enthusiasts in documenting Britain's ancient past