THE rituals and beliefs of our Herefordshire ancestors will be revealed in a new book.

'The Archaeology of Herefordshire: An Exploration' written by Keith Ray is being released tonight (Wednesday) at 7pm with a special launch event being held in The Folly Arts Theatre at Hereford College.


Archaeological finds mentioned in the book include the activities and rituals at Dorstone Hill and Wellington Quarry, the site of a Saxon Cathedral in Hereford being identified, excavations at Croft Castle and the extent of iron working near Ross-on-Wye

Mr Ray is the county's leading archaeologist and has worked with a range of historians and experts including Channel 4's Time Team to acquire his knowledge.

In 2007 he was awarded an MBE for services to archaeology in Herefordshire.

New understanding of Herefordshire’s archaeology has recently been gained as a result of exploratory projects and excavations which will be revealed in this publication.

The book's author describes what is now known of the county’s archaeology, assessing both the work of past generations and the discoveries of this modern era of enquiry.

The paperback book contains 448 pages with 230 colour illustrations and is priced at £15.