Little over a month ago, Peter Ross published his third book, Upon a White Horse. A journey throughout Britain and Ireland’s ancient archaeological sites, it critically aimed to connect prehistoric Britain with the twenty-first century. Peter Ross, in conversation with David Clarke, provided an amazing introduction to some of Britain’s most famous ancient sites, reflecting on their archaeological significance, ongoing cultural relevance, and modern questions surrounding their preservation.
From the very beginning, Ross made clear how personal archaeology and folklore is to him. Taken to dig sites as a child by his grandparents, themselves enthusiastic amateurs, and citing early influences like Stig of the Dump, he developed a deep appreciation of ancient history. A compelling storyteller, Ross noted a significant experience of holding a stone-age tooth, and this personal connection set a familial tone for the rest of the talk. He knew what was important to him, and made it important to his audience as well; small objects used in burials are just as relevant as huge chalk drawings on a hillside. He took us from Orkney to Kent, Stonehenge to Sutton Hoo, and on every subject his passion and knowledge was readily apparent.
Throughout the hour, Ross was always keen to give ancient topics modern relevance. From teenagers smoking weed on the Uffington Horse to encountering a film crew at the Sycamore Gap, contemporary connection to these sites was a focal point critical to our understanding of Britain and its origins. I was struck by the fact that the Uffington Horse required regular voluntary maintenance from locals, the lack of which could see it disappear from our landscape within a quarter of a century. Sites and stories like this are a poignant reminder that even in the twenty-first century we are a continuation of what came before, and there will be continuation after us.
For a book about ancient history and folklore, Peter Ross has both feet firmly in the present. His initial motivation at the outset of writing this book was to escape the doom and gloom of modern life. Yet the process revealed the past is not something to retreat to, and there are lessons to be learned from the race to waste resources seen at sites like the Ness of Brodgar. For Ross, the early bronze age represents the beginning of humanity’s unsustainable ambitions. In archaeological conversations specifically, Ross is also acutely aware of issues regarding preservation, answering questions on the removal of Woodhenge or the potential of raising stones at Avebury with authority and nuance. One location, still to this day the site of a ritual dating back millenia, goes unnamed by Ross in both his book and his talk to prevent vandalism or mass tourism, demonstrating the responsibility he feels towards the locations and people he covers in his work.
It was apparent throughout that Peter Ross is a man filled with knowledge on his subject, and that this overflowed to a book that could not help but be written. The talk, just an hour long, could’ve gone on all day and still he would have had new and exciting insights to share. Upon a White Horse, the third in an unofficial trilogy on British and Irish history, is the latest attempt by Peter Ross to record and reflect on the marks on the landscape the people of the British Isles have made over the last few thousand years, and how these marks have come to be a part of that very landscape. As Ross casts our glances back, he compels us to join him in asking a visceral question: “we matter, don’t we?”
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
