Citizendia

Stonehenge in its landscape

Cover
AuthorR. M. J. Cleal, K. E. Walker and R. Montague
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)Archaeology
PublisherEnglish Heritage
Publication date1995
Pages618
ISBN1 85074 605 2

Stonehenge in its landscape: Twentieth century excavations by R. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 M. J. Cleal, K. E. Walker and R. Montague is an archaeological report on Stonehenge published in 1995. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury It presented the results of a two year intensive study of all the known records of the various excavations at Stonehenge in the twentieth century, including a rephrasing of the development of the monument.

Unlike popular books on the subject, Stonehenge in its landscape details the complex archaeological stratigraphy of the site. In Archaeology, especially in the course of Excavation, stratification is a paramount and base concept It has been described as "an essential reference work for the specialist". [1]

Contents

Origins

In 1993, both the setting and the presentation of Stonehenge was described as "a national disgrace" by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The criticisms were several: two major roads ran in close proximity to the monument, one of which cut the processional Avenue; a large car park lay near by; the pedestrian access to the monument was via a shabby underpass, and the visitor facilities were very limited, with no visitor centre. British Archaeologists refine the general archaeological use of avenue to denote a long parallel-sided strip of land measuring up to about 30m in width open at either end and In addition, there was no proper plan of the monument. [2]

The documentation of the site was in a similarly poor state. Professor Richard J. C. Atkinson had published a partial account of the site in 1956, and this had been revised in 1979, but after nearly 90 years of archaeological investigations at the monument there was still no definitive publication presenting the complex stratigraphy and the finds recovered from the site. Alternative meaning Richard Atkinson (educator Richard John Copland Atkinson CBE ( 20 January 1920 &ndash In Archaeology, especially in the course of Excavation, stratification is a paramount and base concept [3] In 1993 English Heritage commissioned Wessex Archaeology to prepare such a volume. Wessex Archaeology is one of the largest private archaeological organisations operating in the United Kingdom, based near Salisbury in Wiltshire The work involved detailed study of all available site records, including plans, photographs, site notebooks, letters and other documentary sources, as well as analysis of all the finds from the site, and a new suite of radiocarbon dates for the monument. Radiocarbon dating is a Radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring Radioisotope Carbon-14 (14C to determine the age of The volume aimed to relate the site to its local landscape.

Contents

The volume is split into four parts. Part 1 deals with the geography and history of Stonehenge, including previous work at the site, and the site in its modern setting. Part 2, entitled Stonehenge, the monument in its setting tackles the Mesolithic and earlier Neolithic evidence from the site, and then moves on to describe the development of the monument, including the three major phases of development, and the post-Bronze Age use of the site. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Part 3 deals with the artefacts and ecofacts (environmental data), and Part 4 is the discussion section.

The analysis showed that Atkinson's phasing of the monument no longer held, and a new scheme was set out:

The Avenue was also constructed during Phase 3. [4]

Publication

The book was launched at the Society of Antiquaries in London on 5 October 1995. The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL is the world’s premier Learned Society for heritage One reviewer wryly noted:

If this book were a new car - such is its importance - it would have descended from the clouds amidst lasers, escorted by angelic supermodels. Instead, it was launched at the Society of Antiquaries with tea and biscuits. Such is the world. [5]

Reviewers described the monograph as "a massive achievement", "fundamental" and "one of the more important British archaeological publications this century". The original (and so far only) edition had a print run of just 800 copies. [6][7][8]

Bibliography

External links

Details of the book

References

  1. ^ Case 1997, 162
  2. ^ Chippindale 1995, 865
  3. ^ Case 1997, 161-2
  4. ^ Cleal, Walker and Montague 1995
  5. ^ Pitts 1996, 12
  6. ^ Whittle 1996, 463
  7. ^ North 1996, 592
  8. ^ Case 1997, 161
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