Merryn Dineley's thesis is based on the premise that the 'biochemical laws that govern the processes of malting, mashing and fermentation remain unchanged throughout the millennia'. He therefore uses the results of scientific experimentation to search for evidence of ale and brewing amongst Neolithic residues. Following a discussing of the actual brewing process and later Viking and medieval embellishments, the study discusses the evidence for barley in Egypt and the Near East, the first evidence of grain in neolithic Europe and ceramic, environmental and structural clues for brewing in Neolithic Orkney and Grooved Ware sites in Britain.