Stonehenge: Making Sense of a Prehistoric Mystery (original) (raw)
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The Stonehenge Riverside Project: exploring the Neolithic landscape of Stonehenge
Documenta Praehistorica, 2008
The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a collaborative enterprise directed by six academics from five UK universities, investigating the place of Stonehenge within its contemporary landscape. In this contribution, a series of novel approaches being employed on the project are outlined, before the results of investigations at the Greater Stonehenge Cursus, Woodhenge, the Cuckoo Stone and Durrington Walls are discussed.
Archaeology and legend: investigating Stonehenge
Archaeology International
Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments, built 4,500–5,000 years ago during the Neolithic in a time long before written history. The recent dramatic discovery of a dismantled stone circle near the sources of some of Stonehenge’s stones in southwest Wales raises the fascinating possibility that an ancient story about Stonehenge’s origin, written down 900 years ago and subsequently dismissed as pure invention, might contain a grain of truth. This article explores the pros and cons of comparing the legend with the archaeological evidence.
Stonehenge: whose past? What past?
Tourism Management, 1992
The authors make a plea for more flexible access to the UK's prehistoric sites-which are presently viewed almost solely as attractions for feepaying tourists-not just in terms of physical access, but in terms of intellectual and emotive access. They suggest that the past should not be 'roped off', that it should be understood as something that vividly engages with the present.
Stonehenge: Its Ingenuity, Origins, and Purpose
Stonehenge, one of, if not the most famous of the stone circles, has long fascinated humans. Our understanding of it is based on fragmentary knowledge, and so no complete and accurate account of its origins, purpose, construction, κτλ. exists. From the work of scholars and experts in the field, together with new knowledge, we can come to some conclusions on Stonehenge, such as its building method(s), sources, and function. The definition of a "henge" is: "A monument that seems not to have been primarily a sepulchre, but that incorporated conspicuous stone or timber uprights with as many other parts (such as ditches and banks) as were needed to make it self-sufficient as a potential delimiter of astronomically significant directions." 1 In this paradigm, Stonehenge, or henges in general, had astronomical aspects, yet other views are extant. One of the periods with which we are concerned is the Mesolithic era, when humans were first active in the vicinity near to Stonehenge. At this time, pits were dug some hundred metres north of the stones, possibly holding large upright pine posts. 2 Stonehenge had four main building phases, from 3200 BCE to 1600 BCE, according to Burl. 3 From what we can tell, it was always evolving. Perhaps this was due to various people-groups that lived in the vicinity of Salisbury Plain? Many questions arise when discussing stone circles. These questions include the source(s) of materials, the technologies involved in obtaining the stones, transportation, standing the stones, and so forth. With regard to these, we know that the ancient peoples were quite intellectual, utilizing surveying, geometry, and astronomy. Stonehenge's purpose, which is disputed, ranges from calendar, to cult center, to social center. A matter of particular importance is how it is unorthodox among stone circles; Stonehenge is not a proper "stone circle." The activities and technologies involved in constructing Stonehenge, its dating, its purpose, its builders, and its differences from other stone circles will, henceforth, be discussed in this paper.
The Stonehenge Riverside Project> exploring the Neolithic landscape of …
Documenta …
Stonehenge is a national symbol, recognised through- out the world, and interpreted in different ways by a wide variety of constituencies, from Druids to New Age enthusiasts (Chippindale 1990) (Fig. 1). It has served as a focus for contemporary cultural and polit- ical struggles, ...
The archaeology of Stonehenge - a preliminary survey
Queensland Archaeological Research
No archaeology data has been published from the Stonehenge region of central western Queensland. Indeed the only archaeological activity carried out in the area to this point in time, has been sporadic forays by one or two consultants, leading to a restricted amount of information being available for public comment. The following paper begins the process of addressing this situation by discussing archaeological sites found during the field component of a consultancy in the Stonehenge-Longreach district. General interpretations are offered regarding prehistoric human behaviour and the paper also highlights some problems associated with the interpretation of archaeological material in the field.
Stonehenge was transformed considerably during the 20th century, the monument itself being subjected to more intervention and alteration from 1901 than at any time since the Bronze Age. Some of the most important episodes of excavation at Stonehenge during the 20th century were driven by a desire to interfere with the monument’s physical appearance, often but not always due to concerns about stability. The romantic ruin of previous generations – leaning monoliths, twisted trilithons and recumbent sarsens – was rationalised into a more upright, orderly design and secured for posterity with concrete. At the same time, the visibility of the enclosing earthworks was enhanced for the paying visitor, the enclosure ditch only partially backfilled and surplus material spread across the site to conceal old trackways. 1901 was also the year that the monument was first enclosed and an admission charge introduced, both intended as means of controlling the numbers and types of visitor. Since Stonehenge passed into State hands in 1918, catering for the increasing numbers of visitors has also continued to play an important role in the presentation and appearance of the monument and its immediate surroundings. Viewing the recent history of Stonehenge through a narrative that sees a privately-owned and neglected 19th century ruin transformed, via essential maintenance and repair, into a unique and monumental expression of Neolithic beliefs and achievement rather overlooks the complexities of that 20th century transformation. Looking more closely at the circumstances surrounding three key episodes – the appearance in 1881 of some timber supports; the straightening and concreting of the massive Stone 56 in 1901; and the uncompleted ‘reparations’ of 1919-20 – helps to show not only why we have a more stable and secure monument today, but also that the Stonehenge of the 21st century is no closer to its prehistoric state than it was in 1901. Download from: http://research.english-heritage.org.uk/redirect.aspx?id=6265
Materializing Stonehenge - The Stonehenge Riverside Project and New Discoveries
Journal of Material Culture 11 (1-2), 2006
This article reviews recent interpretations of Stonehenge in terms of contrasting uses of stone and timber in the mid-3rd millennium BC. It explores the relationship of this enigmatic monument with circles of wood at nearby Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, establishing how these various