• Relevance of the religious beliefs and practices of past European societies can enhance understanding of our own. • The popular notion of Druids is unpacked and debunked using archaeological evidence. • New research findings are shared with readers in accessible and engaging ways, enhanced by copious illustrations that weave into the text. • The book is thoroughly readable and tells stories of the past in a deeply compelling manner.

Ancient Classical authors have painted the Druids in a bad light, defining them as a barbaric priesthood, who 2,000 years ago perpetrated savage and blood rites in ancient Britain and Gaul in the name of their gods. Archaeology tells a different and more complicated story of this enigmatic priesthood, a theocracy with immense political and sacred power. This book explores the tangible 'footprint' the Druids have left behind: in sacred spaces, art, ritual equipment, images of the gods, strange burial rites and human sacrifice. Their material culture indicates how close was the relationship between Druids and the spirit-world, which evidence suggests they accessed through drug-induced trance.