This book is a study of a remarkable body of material: the fine objects that were so often buried in hoards or deposited in watery locations such as rivers or bogs. Such finds are made throughout northern and western Europe and characterize the entire sequence from the Mesolithic to the early historical period. Although these finds are well known and the objects themselves have been studied for many years, less attention has been paid to the circumstances in which they came into the archaeological record, and it is this omission that the book seeks to redress. Sacrifices and votive offerings have an extraordinarily long history, but their actual character seems to have changed from one period to another and may also exhibit striking regional variations between different parts of Europe. This study traces the main outlines of that lengthy sequence and attempts to relate the changing character of these deposits to the broader processes taking place in prehistoric society. It is an exercise in the writing of long-term history which seeks to unite both traditional and avant garde approaches to the study of material culture, exploring both of these within the wider framework of a social archaeology. The author contributes an additional chapter to this new edition, in which he reports on a rereading of his text, noting areas where major revision and minor amendments are now necessary, as well as ideas that deserve further development in the future.