Stonehenge and Avebury

Abstract

As Britain’s foremost prehistoric monument, Stonehenge illustrates changing fashions in interpretation of, and public and professional attitudes towards, the national archaeological heritage over at least three centuries. From Stukeley and the early antiquaries there was constant interest in Stonehenge and its environs, including Avebury and Silbury Hill. But it was not until the twentieth century, after the site had become a listed ancient monument and had been taken into state guardianship, that the greatest damage was inflicted through fieldwork that remained unpublished until the end of the century. Stonehenge evidently was significant in terms of the seasonal solar cycle, but in the mid-twentieth century especially it became the focus of astro-archaeologists with complex theories of astronomical and calendrical significance. Interest has always focused on the origin of the bluestones, whether the product of glacial drift or transported from south Wales by the builders. Research on Stonehenge and its neighbourhood in recent years has greatly enhanced understanding of the site’s chronological and structural sequence, and its possible roles as a place of ritual, burial, and ceremonial activity. Now with Avebury part of the World Heritage site, Stonehenge is once again subject to controversy as to how best to protect its environment from greatly increased volumes of traffic.