Statements in Stone is a detailed account of the megalithic traditions of North-Western France. In any consideration of European megaliths, Brittany must be seen as a core area, standing out from most other regions by virtue of the density and diversity of monuments. The book sets the various megalithic traditions into a social context and relates monumental traditions to changing structures of social organisation. These megaliths cover a period of over 2000 years, from the earliest Neolithic to the beginning of the Bronze Age. Mark Patton shows how recent excavations have contributed much important information to our understanding of megaliths, such as the discovery of early complexes beneath passage graves and evidence for multi-phase construction of megalithic cairns and tombs.