STONEHENGE: The Story of a Sacred Landscape

A beautifully illustrated account of the history and archaeology of an iconic feature of the English landscape, part of the stunning Landmark Library series. Perched on the chalk uplands of Salisbury Plain, the megaliths of Stonehenge offer one of the most recognisable outlines of any ancient structure. Its purpose - place of worship, sacrificial arena, giant calendar - is unknown, but its story is one of the most extraordinary of any of the world's prehistoric monuments. Constructed in several phases over a period of some 1500 years, beginning c3000BC, Stonehenge's key elements are its 'bluestones', transported from West Wales by unexplained means, and sarsen stones quarried from the nearby Marlborough Downs. Francis Pryor is one of Britain's most distinguished archaeologists and he delivers a rigorous account of the nature and history of the monument and explores how antiquarians, scholars, writers and artists and 'the heritage industry' and even neopagans have interpreted the site over the centuries. Extremely well illustrated and beautifully produced paperback, 236pp, full page colour.