With contributions from Barbara Bender, Ben Chan, John Chandler, Simon Crutchley, Andrew David, David Field, Mike Parker Pearson, Clive Ruggles and Ann Woodward.
Stonehenge is one of Europe’s most eminent prehistoric monuments, a fact recognized in 1986 when the site and its surrounding landscape was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Since that time, much effort has been given to improving the conservation, management and presentation of Stonehenge and its environs. Research has also played an important role with several extensive surveys and selective excavations helping to improve understandings of the site and its setting. But how does all the archaeological work carried out over the last century or so fit together? And what should we do next? This volume sets out to provide and overview of achievements and a framework for future research at and around Stonehenge.
Author(s): Timothy Darvill, Vanessa Constant, Ehren Milner (eds.)
Publisher: English Heritage and Bournemouth University
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: XXXII+178
City: London & Bournemouth
Foreword from Sir Neil Cossons v
Preface and acknowledgements ix
List of illustrations and maps xi
List of tables xiv
Abbreviations and acronyms xiv
SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION
Background, need, and purpose 2
Towards an Archaeological Research Framework 3
What is a Research Framework? 4
Constructing the Stonehenge World Heritage Site Archaeological Research Framework 5
Definitions, scope, and geographical context 5
History of research 7
Finding the archaeology of the Stonehenge Landscape 14
Interpreting the archaeology of the Stonehenge Landscape 24
Threats, preservation, and survival 30
Designations, management context, and land-use 31
Reflexivity and revision 32
SECTION 2 – RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
Scoping the resource 34
A downland landscape 35
Pleistocene environments and their occupants (to 12,000 BC) 37
Post-glacial hunter-gatherers (12,000–4000 BC) 38
Early and middle Neolithic (4000–3000 BC) 40
Late Neolithic and metal-using Neolithic (3000–2000 BC) 46
Early Bronze Age (2000–1500 BC) 61
Middle and later Bronze Age (1500–700 BC) 66
Iron Age (700 BC– AD 50) 71
Romano-British (AD 50–450) 75
Saxon and early medieval (AD 450–1100) 77
Later medieval (AD 1100–1500) 81
Post-medieval (AD 1500–1800) 86
Nineteenth century AD 91
Twentieth century AD 92
Diachronic themes 96
Stonehenge in its region 102
Stonehenge worlds 103
SECTION 3 – RESEARCH AGENDA
Developing an agenda: defining issues 108
Period-based and site-based issues 109
Subject-based issues 112
Contextual and interpretative issues 115
Management-based issues 118
SECTION 4 – RESEARCH STRATEGY
Creating objectives 122
Ethics and practice 124
Current initiatives 124
Strategy, objectives, and projects 126
The BIG Questions 126
Stonehenge and related monuments 127
Landscape and regional objectives 129
Integrating monuments with the landscape 130
Research infrastructure 132
APPENDICIES
Appendix I – Select investigations in the Stonehenge Landscape 138
Appendix II – Select bibliography of Stonehenge and its landscape 145
Appendix III – Radiocarbon dates 153
Appendix IV – Research Framework consultation process 157
REFERENCES CITED IN THE TEXT 160
INDEX 176
MAPS
