A book illuminating the creative abilities and imagination of our Ice Age ancestors has won a prestigious award as Book of the Year 2017. Paul Bahn received the award for his Images of the Ice Age (published by Oxford University Press). With detailed discussions of Ice Age artwork and explorations of how they might be interpreted, this beautiful book demonstrates how sophisticated our prehistoric predecessors were.
The prize forms part of the celebrated Current Archaeology Awards, which are given each year by Current Archaeology, the UK’s leading archaeology magazine, and voted for by the general public. TV personality and archaeologist Julian Richards (of Meet the Ancestors fame) announced the winners of the 2017 awards on 24 February, during the Current Archaeology Live! annual conference, held at the University of London’s Senate House. This year saw a record-breaking attendance for the event, with over 400 people hearing the latest research and discoveries from archaeology’s leading experts.
Accepting the award, Paul Bahn said: ‘Thank you for this; it is my favourite book and one on my favourite subjects. It has been 20 years since the last edition, and lots has happened since then, including Britain getting some of its own cave markings. There has also been an explosion of cave sites out of Spain, and we definitely have some Neanderthal cave markings now – it is going to be an exciting next few years, but I hope it won’t be another 20 till my next edition!’
Notes for Editors: Current Archaeology Awards
• Voted for by subscribers and members of the public, the awards recognise the outstanding contributions to our understanding of the past made by people, projects, and publications featured in the pages of Current Archaeology.
• The 2017 Current Archaeology Award for Book of the Year is sponsored by Andante Travels.
• Current Archaeology was launched in 1967 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
• Images of the Ice Age was reviewed in Current Archaeology 314.
• This year’s conference saw a record attendance, with over 400 people hearing the latest research and discoveries from archaeology’s leading experts.
• Award categories include: Archaeologist of the Year, Book of the Year, Research Project of the Year, Rescue Project of the Year, and Archaeological Innovation of the Last 50 Years.
• For more information about CA Live!, visit www.archaeologylive.co.uk
