| The Making of Stonehenge Contributor(s): Castleden, Rodney (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415085136 ISBN-13: 9780415085137 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $152.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: November 1993 Annotation: Every generation has its own view of Stonehenge, but rarely do these interpretations relate to the physical, ecological, economic and social realities of the monument and its prehistoric past. In "The Making of Stonehenge" Rodney Castleden provides a far more comprehensive sense of Stonehenge--both in relation to the similar sites nearby and in terms of its uses. First describing those elements which made possible the assembly of this vast stone circle, Castleden also speculates about the society which undertook the enormous task of transporting and raising these giant vertical stones. Castleden suggests that there is no one "meaning" or "purpose" for Stonehenge, but that from its very beginning it has filled a variety of needs. The Romans saw it as a center of resistance; the antiquaries who "rediscovered" it in the 17th century believed it gave them insight into the nation's past. Archaeologists see it as a subject for rational, scientific investigation; the National Trust and English Heritage view it as an unfailing tourist attraction; and UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site, the cultural property of the whole of humanity. Castleden examines how the ancient reality of Stonehenge has been lost amid these competing views, and considers the consequences of Stonehenge's continual mythologization and reappropriation. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - Great Britain - General |
| Dewey: 942.31 |
| LCCN: 93012736 |
| Physical Information: 1.01" H x 6.4" W x 9.47" (1.83 lbs) 320 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Every generation has created its own interpretation of Stonehenge, but rarely do these relate to the physical realities of the monument. Rodney Castleden begins with those elements which made possible the building of this vast stone circle: the site, the materials and the society that undertook the enormous task of transporting and raising the great vertical stones, then capping them, all to a carefully contrived plan. What emerges from this detailed examination is a much fuller sense of Stonehenge, both in relation to all the similar sites close by, and in terms of the uses to which it was put. Castleden suggests that there is no one 'meaning' or 'purpose' for Stonehenge, that from its very beginning it has filled a variety of needs. The Romans saw it as a centre of resistance; the antiquaries who 'rediscovered' it in the seventeenth century saw a long line of continuity leading back into the nation's past. The archaeologists see it as a subject for rational, scientific investigation; The National Trust and English Heritage view it as an unfailing magnet for visitors; UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site, the cultural property of the whole of humanity. Lost to view amid competing interests over the millenia are the uses it has served for those who live within its penumbra, for whom Stonehenge has never been 'lost' or 'rediscovered'. It exists in local myth and legend, stretching back beyond history. |