Includes bibliographical references (pages 254-261) and index. "Published to accompany the exhibition 'The world of Stonehenge at the British Museum' from 17 February 2022 to 17 July 2022."--Title page verso.
Contents:
Introduction: the world of Stonehenge -- Working with nature -- Sermons in stone -- Under one sky -- New horizons -- To the sea -- Afterword: the last of the light.
Summary:
Stonehenge is one of the best known, but most misunderstood, monuments in the world. Contrary to common belief, it was not a static, unchanging structure built by shadowy figures or druids. Rather it represents the cumulative achievement of numerous generations who were woven into a complex and widespread network of cultural interactions, environmental change and belief systems. This publication, which accompanies the first exhibition about Stonehenge ever staged in London, uses the monument as a gateway to explore the communities and civilisations active at the time of its construction and beyond, between 4,000 and 1,000 BCE. Recent archaeological findings regarding the origin of Stonehenge's striking 'bluestones' have reignited interest in this ancient wonder, the people who built it and the beliefs they held. Through the 'iconic' structure, spectacular objects of precious and exotic material and more humble, personal objects, authors Duncan Garrow and Neil Wilkin examine the dramatic cultural and societal shifts that characterised the world of Stonehenge, including the introduction of farming and development of metalworking. Covering a period of thousands of years, the publication traces the appearance of the first monuments in the landscape of Britain around 4,000 BCE, the arrival of the bluestones from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire 1,000 years later, all the way up to a remarkable era of cross-Channel connectivity and trade between 1,500 and 800 BCE. Exhibition: British Museum, London, UK (17.02-17.07.2022).
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.