Why Romans didn't civilise us after all.

ONE day programme-makers might run out of history to reconstruct and re-examine, but that time is far off as long people like Francis Pryor are around.

The writer and archaeologist claims an "inspiring and original view" of Britain before the Roman invasion in this two-parter. His conclusion, on looking at what made the ancient Britons tick, is that they were more sophisticated than we thought.

For all I know, despite the so-called evidence he produced, he might have been talking total poppycock as he tried to answer questions about what made our ancient kingdom so desirable that the Romans risked so much to conquer it. Have you noticed how TV historians always pose questions and then proceed to give the answer they've known all along?

He's been studying the archaeology of pre-Roman England all his life, but points out the subject is not taught at school. Good job really, or nobody would want to watch his programmes as they'd know it all already.

The British Museum contains only a small amount of pre-Roman stuff because, he claimed, our history is not considered important. What is there gives the impression of Braveheart crossed with The Lord Of The Rings.

So what did he tell us? And there I go, asking questions that I intend to answer myself just like Pryor. Well, we're in denial about our anicent past, making out everything that's good has to come from outside the country. But, contrary to popular opinion, he reckons the Romans didn't give us roads, language, laws and civilisation. Even farming, which it was assumed was imported from the continent, was flourishing before the arrival of foreigners.

We were doing all right, thank you, before Julius Caesar came, saw and conquered. It was the Romans who spread "all this barbarian nonsense".

His lecture took him the length and breadth of the country, and under it to visit a copper mine, with the aid of computer reconstructions of ancient sites and flashy camerawork.

He was eager to make us as excited as he was, talking about finds in Cheddar Gorge caves that "would shake the archaeological world". This turned out to be Cheddar Man, not a chap made of cheese but the remains of one of our ancestors.

Don't miss Steve Pratt on the Coronation Street murders in Saturday's Northern Echo.