We thus have the paradoxical situation that archaeology, the only method of investigating man's past in the absence of written records, becomes increasingly less effective as a means of inquiry the more nearly it approaches those aspects of human life which are the more specifically human. It is a perfect case of the higher, the fewer (Atkinson and Hamilton, p. 167)."
In summary, what we know is that Stonehenge was not built to enhance the landscape, it does not overwhelm the landscape. Rather, the landscape enhances Stonehenge, and where a visitor might at first be disappointed, having arrived with much greater scale to see in the size of Stonehenge, they find instead that the landscape dwarfs the structure, but that there was a grace and care in the hand preparation of the stone, e in the quality of the stones, and in the geometric arrangement of stones that was perhaps intended to create a sort balance with the environment around the structure.
The structure itself stands on a high and protruding "eminence." It is on display, but it also conveys a sense of privacy by the fact that it was not built in a way to contemplate the outer areas, nor was it created in a way to put on display what was going on inside. Nonetheless there is a sense of reverence, and a sense, as expressed by people who visit...
In fact, the Ancient Order of Druids was not organized until 1781 in Britain, and did not begin worshipping at Stonehenge until 1905 (Bender et al. 126). Thus, it seems highly unlikely ancient Druids built the henge. This should dispel this common myth, but many people still believe the Druids were responsible for Stonehenge. It is interesting to note that Stonehenge is not the only "henge" in Britain. In fact,
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now