Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites

• Official name: Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
• Location: Wiltshire, England
• Type: Cultural
• Year of inscription: 1986 (modified 2008)

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites are an assembly of prehistoric archaeological sites in the county of Wiltshire, in the Chalklands of southern England. The two main sites are individually known as Stonehenge and Avebury, which are approximately 17 miles (27 kilometers) apart. Both are primarily famous for their circles of large stones formed and arranged by prehistoric peoples. These monuments give modern historians and visitors a unique perspective into the rituals and lifestyles of people from the Neolithic (New Stone) and Bronze Ages, who visited, built, and used the sites for more than two millennia from about 3700 to 1600 BCE.

Stonehenge is an icon of world history. Millions of people around the globe recognize Stonehenge for the great size of its stones, their careful shaping, and the dedicated work and thought that went into their circular arrangement. From an architectural point of view, historians consider Stonehenge the most sophisticated prehistoric stone-circle monument of its type in the world. The huge stones, known as megaliths, were hand-formed from two types of material, Wiltshire Sarsen sandstone and Pembroke Bluestone, and transported from their quarries to the site across significant distances. Stonehenge also serves as a hub for a number of nearby prehistoric sites and monuments. These include the Avenue (a long walkway), Cursuses (human-made ditches), Woodhenge (a huge oval structure originally made of wooden posts), and Durrington Walls (a prehistoric settlement area). In addition, more burial mounds exist near Stonehenge than in any other similarly sized area of Great Britain.

Although Stonehenge may be far more famous, Avebury holds the distinction of being the largest prehistoric circular stone formation ever discovered. It originally included some 180 stones. Although not as technically sophisticated as the work on Stonehenge, the Avebury henge, or stone circle, also demonstrates the remarkable level of engineering necessary to cut, transport, and set up megaliths by hand. Avebury is also the focal point of a landscape of important prehistoric sites and monuments. Among the most important of these are Silbury Hill, Europe’s largest prehistoric human-made mound; Windmill Hill, a circular formation of ditches and causeways; the Sanctuary, a formation of stones and posts, now degraded; Beckhampton and West Kennet Avenues; the West Kennet Long Barrow, or tomb chamber); and other barrows and enclosures once protected by palisades, or walls of tall wooden poles.

History

Construction of Stonehenge likely began around 3000 BCE, although the monument was probably based on much earlier constructions that have since been lost. The raising of the main stones likely took place about 2500 BCE. It was these stones that formed the initial concentric circles and other patterns. Historians believe workers rearranged some of the stones two or three centuries later, at which time they also created an avenue, or pathway, from the site to the nearby river Avon.

Modifications to the site continued for centuries, with the final verifiable activities taking place around 1800 to 1500 BCE. The exact purpose of Stonehenge is unknown, although modern historians believe it was a ritual site and closely associated with a wide variety of burial monuments in the nearby area. The rituals were likely also related to observations of the heavenly bodies, primarily the sun, whose path through the sky helped ancient people analyze the passage of time and the changing of seasons.

People later lost interest in Stonehenge and similar megalithic monuments, although fascination with the site may have revived following the arrival of Romans in Britain starting in 43 CE. Researchers feel the site may have been repurposed for rituals by Romano-British people in the region. As post-Roman towns and farms grew in the area, locals paid little attention to Stonehenge until medieval times, when it became a popular feature of artwork and stories.

Serious preservation or restoration activity did not begin until the late nineteenth century, when the British government began to use the area for military facilities. In 1918, then-landowner Cecil Chubb donated the site to England, and the site came under national ownership and oversight. It also became one of the most popular tourist sites in England and one of the icons of world archaeology. Efforts to study and protect Stonehenge are ongoing.

Historians believe that the construction of the Avebury stone circles began around 2850 BCE, and the enormous monument was constructed and altered until around 2200 BCE. Its basic shape may have been inspired by still-earlier constructions made primarily of wood that has long since rotted away. The surviving parts of the monument, which enclose an entire modern village, contain a complex interplay of stone circles, ditches, and raised earthen banks.

Modern experts do not know the exact purposes of these formations, since they predate written records. Information about them has been gathered over time through excavations and research. Experts have determined that, based on the structures and shapes present, along with associated artifacts, Avebury was likely a multipurpose structure based on rituals, some of which may have been attended by large numbers of observers.

These rituals may have blended religious observances and social purposes. They may have reflected the social order of the people involved, their views of life and the world, and the relationship they felt with their gods or other supernatural powers. The circles, banks, and ditches likely emphasized the inclusion of chosen members of a group and the exclusion of others.

Clearly, this was an important place to early people, as well as a link in a landscape full of social and spiritual significance. Long stone-lined avenues connect Avebury with other major sites. In addition, the giant earth mound known as Silbury Hill is only a short distance away and is likely related in some manner.

Whatever its original purpose, Avebury served as a hub of activity for about one thousand years. Changes in society and belief systems, however, most likely led to people losing interest in the structure, which they ultimately abandoned in about 1800 BCE. Subsequent centuries were not kind to the monument. During the Middle Ages, many people interpreted the sites and stones as representations of pagan beliefs or even demonic activity. This belief led people to knock down, take away, or bury many of the original stones. Development in the area of a village and farms led to the removal or destruction of other stones.

The documentation and preservation efforts of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century historians such as William Stukeley and John Aubrey helped to record the site’s layout. Renovations on the site began in the 1930s under the guidance and funding of Alexander Keiller. The efforts he began to save, restore, and protect the stone circles and other features continue into the twenty-first century.

Significance

Stonehenge, Avebury, and related sites in the region are among the most famous artifacts of the archaeological heritage of England and Europe. Scientists have studied the meanings of the features and shapes of the stones for centuries. During this time, they have captivated the imaginations of people around the world. Stonehenge, Avebury, and the related monuments were some of the first entrants to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List, which was introduced in 1986, with a small modification in 2008.

These sites provide a unique and invaluable look at the mysterious world of prehistoric people of the Bronze Age. In particular, the sites shed light on the complex and poorly understood ritual and mortuary activities of these people. For the thousands of people who travel the globe to visit the sites each year, these prehistoric monuments also provide thrilling, sometimes haunting, views and fuel for the imagination.

Avebury, although not as well-known as Stonehenge, is striking for its sheer size and the mark it makes—even in its modern, much-depleted condition—on the broad English landscape. It provides an astonishing demonstration of the ambition of its prehistoric creators, who worked with bare hands and the simplest of tools to create monuments of truly epic scale.

Stonehenge is prized because of its sophisticated architectural design, which includes lintels and interlocking joints in the massive stones, which were, in some cases, transported more than 150 miles (250 kilometers) to the site. Researchers and speculators have devised many theories about the uses of Stonehenge, which include natural observations, occult practices, and political ceremonies. Most historians believe that it was intended to monitor the movement of the sun through the course of the year. Although many aspects of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites remain a mystery, new discoveries are also being unearthed. In 2024, archeologists announced that Stonehenge's iconic Altar Stone was believed to have been brought from Scotland and not from Wales as previously thought.

Bibliography

“Avebury.” English Heritage, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Clarke, Anthony J., et al. "A Scottish Provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge." Nature, vol. 632, no. 8025, 2024, pp. 570-575, doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07652-1. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

“Significance of Stonehenge.” English Heritage, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history-and-stories/history/significance. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Simmonds, Sarah, Beth Thomas, et al. Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site: Management Plan 2015. Liverpool University Press, 2015.

“Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/373. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

“Welcome to the Stonehenge & Avebury World Heritage Site.” Stonehenge & Avebury World Heritage Site, www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.