Spatial Order, Cosmology, and Patterns of Deposition at Stonehenge
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Stonehenge Bibliography
Bibliography Abbot, M. and Anderson-Whymark, H., 2012. Anon., 2011a, Discoveries provide evidence of Stonehenge Laser Scan: archaeological celestial procession at Stonehenge. On-line analysis report. English Heritage project source available at: 6457. English Heritage Research Report http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/ Series no. 32-2012, available at: 2011/11/25Nov-Discoveries-provide- http://services.english- evidence-of-a-celestial-procession-at- herita ge.org.uk/Resea rch Repo rtsPdf s/032_ Stonehenge.aspx (accessed 2 April 2012). 2012WEB.pdf Anon., 2011b, Stonehenge’s sister? Current Alexander, C., 2009, If the stones could speak: Archaeology, 260, 6–7. Searching for the meaning of Stonehenge. Anon., 2011c, Home is where the heath is. National Geographic, 213.6 (June 2008), Late Neolithic house, Durrington Walls. 34–59. Current Archaeology, 256, 42–3. Allen, S., 2008, The quest for the earliest Anon., 2011d, Stonehenge rocks. Current published image of Stonehinge (sic). Archaeology, 254, 6–7. Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural Anon., 2012a, Origin of some of the Bluestone History Magazine, 101, 257–9. debris at Stonehenge. British Archaeology, Anon., 2006, Excavation and Fieldwork in 123, 9. Wiltshire 2004. Wiltshire Archaeological Anon., 2012b, Stonehenge: sourcing the and Natural History Magazine, 99, 264–70. Bluestones. Current Archaeology, 263, 6– Anon., 2007a, Excavation and Fieldwork in 7. Wiltshire 2005. Wiltshire Archaeological Aronson, M., 2010, If stones could speak. and Natural History Magazine, 100, 232– Unlocking the secrets of Stonehenge. 39. Washington DC: National Geographic. Anon., 2007b, Before Stonehenge: village of Avebury Archaeological and Historical wild parties. Current Archaeology, 208, Research Group (AAHRG) 2001 17–21. -
Stonehenge OCR Spec B: History Around Us
OCR HISTORY AROUND US Site Proposal Form Example from English Heritage The Criteria The study of the selected site must focus on the relationship between the site, other historical sources and the aspects listed in a) to n) below. It is therefore essential that centres choose a site that allows learners to use its physical features, together with other historical sources as appropriate, to understand all of the following: a) The reasons for the location of the site within its surroundings b) When and why people first created the site c) The ways in which the site has changed over time d) How the site has been used throughout its history e) The diversity of activities and people associated with the site f) The reasons for changes to the site and to the way it was used g) Significant times in the site’s past: peak activity, major developments, turning points h) The significance of specific features in the physical remains at the site i) The importance of the whole site either locally or nationally, as appropriate j) The typicality of the site based on a comparison with other similar sites k) What the site reveals about everyday life, attitudes and values in particular periods of history l) How the physical remains may prompt questions about the past and how historians frame these as valid historical enquiries m) How the physical remains can inform artistic reconstructions and other interpretations of the site n) The challenges and benefits of studying the historic environment 1 Copyright © OCR 2018 Site name: STONEHENGE Created by: ENGLISH HERITAGE LEARNING TEAM Please provide an explanation of how your site meets each of the following points and include the most appropriate visual images of your site. -
Researching Stonehenge: Theories Past and Present
Parker Pearson, M 2013 Researching Stonehenge: Theories Past and Present. Archaeology International, No. 16 (2012-2013): 72-83, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/ai.1601 ARTICLE Researching Stonehenge: Theories Past and Present Mike Parker Pearson* Over the years archaeologists connected with the Institute of Archaeology and UCL have made substantial contributions to the study of Stonehenge, the most enigmatic of all the prehistoric stone circles in Britain. Two of the early researchers were Petrie and Childe. More recently, colleagues in UCL’s Anthropology department – Barbara Bender and Chris Tilley – have also studied and written about the monument in its landscape. Mike Parker Pearson, who joined the Institute in 2012, has been leading a 10-year-long research programme on Stonehenge and, in this paper, he outlines the history and cur- rent state of research. Petrie and Childe on Stonehenge William Flinders Petrie (Fig. 1) worked on Stonehenge between 1874 and 1880, publishing the first accurate plan of the famous stones as a young man yet to start his career in Egypt. His numbering system of the monument’s many sarsens and blue- stones is still used to this day, and his slim book, Stonehenge: Plans, Descriptions, and Theories, sets out theories and observations that were innovative and insightful. Denied the opportunity of excavating Stonehenge, Petrie had relatively little to go on in terms of excavated evidence – the previous dig- gings had yielded few prehistoric finds other than antler picks – but he suggested that four theories could be considered indi- vidually or in combination for explaining Stonehenge’s purpose: sepulchral, religious, astronomical and monumental. -
Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy Tonehenge Is One of the Most Impressive and Best Known Prehistoric Stone Monuments in the World
Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy tonehenge is one of the most impressive and best known prehistoric stone monuments in the world. Ever since antiquarians’ accounts began to bring the site to wider attention inS the 17th century, there has been endless speculation about its likely purpose and meaning, and a recurring theme has been its possible connections with astronomy and the skies. was it a Neolithic calendar? A solar temple? A lunar observatory? A calculating device for predicting eclipses? Or perhaps a combination of more than one of these? In recent years Stonehenge has become the very icon of ancient astronomy, featuring in nearly every discussion on the subject. And yet there are those who persist in believing that it actually had little or no connection with astronomy at all. A more informed picture has been obtained in recent years by combining evidence from archaeology and astronomy within the new interdiscipline of archaeoastronomy – the study of beliefs and practices concerning the sky in the past and the uses to which people’s knowledge of the skies were put. This leaflet attempts to summarize the evidence that the Stonehenge monument was constructed by communities with a clear interest in the sky above them. Photograph: Stonehenge in the snow. (Skyscan/english heritagE) This leaflet is one of a series produced by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). An electronic version is available for download at www.ras.org.uk. It has been written by the following members of the RAS Astronomical Heritage Committee: Clive Ruggles, Bill Burton, David Hughes, Andrew lawson and Derek McNally. -
Ever Increasing Circles: the Sacred Geographies of Stonehenge and Its Landscape
Proceedings of the British Academy, 92, 167-202 Ever Increasing Circles: The Sacred Geographies of Stonehenge and its Landscape TIMOTHY DARVILL Introduction THE GREAT STONE CIRCLE standing on the rolling chalk downland of Salisbury Plain that we know today as Stonehenge, has, in the twentieth century AD, become a potent icon for the ancient world, and the focus of power struggles and contested authority in our own. Its reputation and stature as an archaeological monument are enormous, and sometimes almost threaten to overshadow both its physical proportions and our accumu- lated collective understanding of its construction and use. While considerable attention has recently been directed to the relevance, meaning and use of the site in the twentieth century AD (Chippindale 1983; 1986a; Chippindale et al. 1990; Bender 1992), the matter of its purpose, significance, and operation during Neolithic and Bronze Age times remains obscure. The late Professor Richard Atkinson was characteristically straightforward when he said that for questions about Stonehenge which begin with the word ‘why’: ‘there is one short, simple and perfectly correct answer: We do not know’ (1979, 168). Two of the most widely recognised and enduring interpretations of Stonehenge are, first, that it was a temple of some kind; and, second, that its orientation on the midsummer sunrise gave it some sort of astronomical role in the lives of its builders. Both interpre- tations, which are not mutually exclusive, have of course been taken to absurd lengths on occasion. During the eighteenth century, for example, William Stukeley became obses- sive about the role of the Druids at Stonehenge (Stukeley 1740). -
{FREE} Where Is Stonehenge? Kindle
WHERE IS STONEHENGE? PDF, EPUB, EBOOK True Kelley | 112 pages | 01 Nov 2016 | Penguin Putnam Inc | 9780448486932 | English | New York, United States Stonehenge | History, Location, Map, & Facts | Britannica The ditch was continuous but had been dug in sections, like the ditches of the earlier causewayed enclosures in the area. The chalk dug from the ditch was piled up to form the bank. This first stage is dated to around BC, after which the ditch began to silt up naturally. Within the outer edge of the enclosed area is a circle of 56 pits, each about 3. These pits and the bank and ditch together are known as the Palisade or Gate Ditch. A recent excavation has suggested that the Aubrey Holes may have originally been used to erect a bluestone circle. A small outer bank beyond the ditch could also date to this period. In a team of archaeologists, led by Mike Parker Pearson , excavated more than 50, cremated bone fragments, from 63 individuals, buried at Stonehenge. Evidence of the second phase is no longer visible. The number of postholes dating to the early third millennium BC suggests that some form of timber structure was built within the enclosure during this period. Further standing timbers were placed at the northeast entrance, and a parallel alignment of posts ran inwards from the southern entrance. The postholes are smaller than the Aubrey Holes, being only around 16 inches 0. The bank was purposely reduced in height and the ditch continued to silt up. At least twenty-five of the Aubrey Holes are known to have contained later, intrusive, cremation burials dating to the two centuries after the monument's inception. -
Architecture and Meaning in the Structure of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK Timothy Darvill
Houses of the Holy: architecture and meaning in the structure of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK Timothy Darvill Timothy Darvill is Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology, Anthropology and Forensic Science, Bournemouth University, UK. His research interests lie in the Neolithic of Northwest Europe and in archaeological resource management, and he has carried out fieldwork in Germany, Russia, Malta, England, Wales, and the Isle of Man. In 2008, together with Geoff Wainwright, he undertook excavations inside the stone circles at Stonehenge as part of ongoing research into the links between Stonehenge and the sources of the Bluestones in the Preseli Hills of southwest Wales. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Time & Mind. [email protected]. Abstract Stonehenge in central southern England is internationally known. Recent re-evaluations of its date and construction sequence provides an opportunity to review the meaning and purpose of key structural components. Here it is argued that the central stone structures did not have a single purpose but rather embody a series of symbolic representations. During the early third millennium this included a square-in- circle motif representing a sacred house or ‘big house’ edged by the five Sarsen Trilithons. During the late third millennium BC, as house styles changed, some of the stones were re-arranged to form a central oval setting that perpetuated the idea of the a sacred dwelling. The Sarsen Circle may have embodied a time- reckoning system based on the lunar month. From about 2500 BC more than 80 bluestones were brought to the site from sources in the Preseli Hills of west Wales about 220km distant. -
Prehistoric Avenues and Alignments Introductions to Heritage Assets Summary
Prehistoric Avenues and Alignments Introductions to Heritage Assets Summary Historic England’s Introductions to Heritage Assets (IHAs) are accessible, authoritative, illustrated summaries of what we know about specific types of archaeological site, building, landscape or marine asset. Typically they deal with subjects which have previously lacked such a published summary, either because the literature is dauntingly voluminous, or alternatively where little has been written. Most often it is the latter, and many IHAs bring understanding of site or building types which are neglected or little understood. This IHA provides an introduction to prehistoric avenues and alignments, which date to the Neolithic period (about 4000-2500 BC). There are several types of prehistoric monument particularly notable for their length. This document is mainly concerned with the most numerous and widespread – cursus monuments. Two other types – avenues and stone alignments – are dealt with more briefly. A brief chronology is included. Cursus monuments have important associations with a range of other categories of archaeological monument and these are explored here. A list of in-depth sources on the topic is suggested for further reading. This document has been prepared by Martyn Barber and edited by Joe Flatman and Pete Herring. It is one of a series of 41 documents. This edition published by Historic England October 2018. All images © Historic England unless otherwise stated. Please refer to this document as: Historic England 2018 Prehistoric Avenues and Alignments: Introductions to Heritage Assets. Historic England. Swindon HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/selection-criteria/scheduling-selection/ihas-archaeology/ Front cover The plough-levelled Stonehenge Lesser Cursus, Wiltshire, showing as a soil mark. -
Stonehenge for the Ancestors, Part the Monograph Is a Hefty 602 Pages, Packed 1: Landscape and Monuments
Early View: Zitierfähige Online-Fassung mit vorläufiger Seitenzählung. Nach Erscheinen des gedruckten Bandes finden Sie den Beitrag mit den endgültigen Seitenzahlen im Open Access dort: http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/arch-inf Den gedruckten Band erhalten Sie unter http://www.archaeologische-informationen.de. Early View: Quotable online version with preliminary pagination. After the printed volume has appeared you can find this article with its final pagination as open access publication there: http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archParker-inf Pearson,The printed volumeM. et al.will (eds) be available (2020). there: Stonehenge http://www.archaeologische-informationen.de for the Ancestors 1 . Review of: Parker Pearson, M., Pollard, J., Rich- mations buried near the Cuckoo Stone are given ards, C., Thomas, J., Tilley, C. & Welham, K. but no further details are provided. (eds) (2020). Stonehenge for the Ancestors, Part The monograph is a hefty 602 pages, packed 1: Landscape and Monuments. Leiden: Side- with in-depth specialist reports and thorough stone Press. 606 pp, 202 illustrations (b/w), 190 excavation descriptions. The publisher Sidestone illustrations (colour), hb/pb/online. ISBN 978-90- Press has used an innovative publishing model, 8890-702-9. https://www.sidestone.com/books/ with the book available at various prices: an ex- stonehenge-for-the-ancestors-part-1 pensive hardback, a less expensive paperback, a very modestly priced downloadable PDF, or a free Susan Greaney version to read online. This aim to provide free public access is admirable; the website informs This is the first of four volumes setting out in full that it has been read online 890 times since pub- the results of the Stonehenge Riverside Project lication in October 2020. -
Skyscapes of the Mesolithic/Neolithic Transition in Western England
Skyscapes of the Mesolithic/Neolithic Transition in Western England Pamela Armstrong Abstract: This paper explores the skyscapes of central southern England during the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition. It suggests that those who built the structures known as the Cotswold-Severn tombs embedded architectural details within their monuments that linked to celestial horizon events for both navigational and calendrical purposes. The architectural designs found within the tombs are analysed for evidence of a cultural engagement with landscape archaeology and the sky. This period witnessed a transition between two eras, so this research considers the possibility that there may also have been a shift in the type of skywatching practised by those inhabiting this landscape during this time of change. Introduction The question considered for this paper was, ‘Does the archaeoastronomic record of the Cotswold-Severn region reflect evidence of a transition from lunar to solar alignment?’ The monuments surveyed for this research were Neolithic Cotswold Severn long barrows, much like the one below, known as Crippets (Fig. 1). These are earthen mounds which have been described by Kinnes as ‘the finest group of stone chambered tombs in England’.1 North defines a barrow as ‘a mound, deliberately erected out of earth and other material [...] and having a conscious architectural structure. Usually, but not always, built for burial purposes’.2 Darvill estimates that there are about 500 long barrows in Britain.3 The Cotswold Severn tombs 1 I. Kinnes, R. J. Mercer, and I. F. Smith, ‘Research Priorities in the British Neolithic’ (unpublished report submitted to the DoE by the Prehistoric Society, 1976), p. -
A Massive, Late Neolithic Pit Structure Associated with Durrington Walls Henge, Internet Archaeology 55
This PDF is a simplified version of the original article published in Internet Archaeology. Enlarged images, the animation and all additional data that support this publication can be found in the original version online. All links also go to the online version. Please cite this as: Gaffney, V. et al. 2020 A Massive, Late Neolithic Pit Structure associated with Durrington Walls Henge, Internet Archaeology 55. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.55.4 A Massive, Late Neolithic Pit Structure associated with Durrington Walls Henge Vincent Gaffney, Eamonn Baldwin, Martin Bates, C. Richard Bates, Christopher Gaffney, Derek Hamilton, Tim Kinnaird, Wolfgang Neubauer, Ronald Yorston, Robin Allaby, Henry Chapman, Paul Garwood, Klaus Löcker, Alois Hinterleitner, Tom Sparrow, Immo Trinks, Mario Wallner and Matt Leivers Summary A series of massive geophysical anomalies, located south of the Durrington Walls henge monument, were identified during fluxgate gradiometer survey undertaken by the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project (SHLP). Initially interpreted as dewponds, these data have been re-evaluated, along with information on similar features revealed by archaeological contractors undertaking survey and excavation to the north of the Durrington Walls henge. Analysis of the available data identified a total of 20 comparable features, which align within a series of arcs adjacent to Durrington Walls. Further geophysical survey, supported by mechanical coring, was undertaken on several geophysical anomalies to assess their nature, and to provide dating and environmental evidence. The results of fieldwork demonstrate that some of these features, at least, were massive, circular pits with a surface diameter of 20m or more and a depth of at least 5m. -
Setting the Stonehenge in Scene
Proceedings of the British Academy, 92, 3-14 Setting the Scene: Stonehenge in the Round COLIN RENFREW Introduction THE SYMPOSIUM ‘Science and Stonehenge’, following fast upon the publication of the impor- tant volume Stonehenge in its Landscape (Cleal, Walker and Montague 1995) offered an unrivalled opportunity for a reassessment of our country’s greatest monument. My intro- ductory remarks will deal less with the natural sciences than with the broader field of knowl- edge and understanding: scientiu. For the conference, organised jointly by the Royal Society and the British Academy (in conjunction with English Heritage) sought to bridge the gulf which sometimes separates the natural sciences and the humanities, and to take a broader view of Stonehenge, in the round as it were, in its national and international context. It aspired to the view that interpretation and understanding as well as detailed analysis is the proper work for rational scholars. I am asserting therefore that Wissenschuft goes beyond Nutunuissenschuf, and that the historical sciences need not be inimical to the natural sciences. What I am seeking to assert here is not merely a play upon words: some aspects of contemporary archaeology are, in a number of ways, seeking to diminish the chasm which often seems to yawn between ‘The Two Cultures’. For while some segments of the archae- ological community seem to reject the world of the hard sciences, in seeking to attain their aim of a more humanistic approach, others today are following a research strategy which deals in a systematic way with human cognition and the use of symbols within an integrated framework, where the sciences and imaginative interpretation are not neces- sarily set in opposition.