Stonehenge, Today and Yesterday — A Closer Reading

Dating Stonehenge: Tools and Context

Stevens builds his case for Stonehenge's date by examining the tools found during excavations. He compares antler picks from Stonehenge with those from Cissbury and Grimes Graves, noting that the similarity in implements suggests a shared period of use. While the picks at Cissbury were assigned to the Stone Age by General Pitt Rivers, Canon Greenwell placed the Grimes Graves tools at a time when both metal and stone were in use. Stevens argues that the Stonehenge tools indicate a period when stone use was continuous with partial bronze use, placing the monument in the Early Bronze Age rather than the Neolithic.

He further supports this by pointing to chippings of foreign stone found inside Bronze Age barrows near Stonehenge, which prove the barrows were built after the monument. Stevens acknowledges the difficulty of assigning exact dates, citing Sir John Evans's suggestion of 1400 B.C. for the British Bronze Age, but notes that continental authorities set it earlier, around 2000 B.C. He cautiously proposes a date of 1700–1800 B.C. for Stonehenge, emphasizing that bronze was likely rare and used mainly for ornaments at that time.

The Lithology of Stonehenge: Sarsens and Foreign Stones

The book devotes a chapter to the stones themselves, distinguishing between the local sarsens and the foreign stones. Stevens explains that the sarsens, which form the main structure, are carefully though roughly worked—a feature unique among British stone circles. The foreign stones, whose origin remains a mystery, are not found in Wiltshire. This geological puzzle is one of the enduring questions Stevens highlights, noting that despite advances in archaeology, the source of these stones is still unknown.

Stevens also describes the design of Stonehenge, particularly the horseshoe arrangement of stones within the circles. He suggests that, just as churches symbolize the cross, the horseshoe likely had its own symbolic meaning, possibly related to Eastern traditions. This structural detail, along with the worked sarsens, sets Stonehenge apart from other megalithic monuments in Britain.

What Was Stonehenge? Purpose and Classification

Stevens classifies Stonehenge within the broader context of megalithic structures, which he divides into three types: single upright stones (menhirs), stone circles, and other formations. He notes that Stonehenge represents a late type, built when bronze culture was beginning to overlap with the Neolithic. The monument's purpose, however, remains speculative. Stevens discusses the possibility that it was a temple or an astronomical observatory, but he does not commit to a single theory, instead presenting the evidence available at the time.

He also addresses the Druid question, a popular association in the 19th century, but dismisses it based on chronological grounds: the Druids belonged to a much later period. The book's final sections cover the barrows of Salisbury Plain, linking the builders of Stonehenge to the people buried in these mounds. Stevens describes the round barrows and their contents, offering insights into the culture that erected the monument.

Stevens's book is a product of its time, reflecting early 20th-century archaeological methods and assumptions. Readers should note that the author relies on limited excavation data and comparisons with other sites, and some conclusions have been revised by later research. Nevertheless, the work provides a valuable snapshot of how Stonehenge was understood a century ago, and it remains a clear, evidence-based introduction to the monument's archaeology.

Frank Stevens walked those stones with such patience, trying to hear what they might say about the hands that raised them. I found myself thinking about that quiet curiosity long after I closed the book. It reminded me of another old voice, gentle and unhurried, The Tale of the Spinning Wheel — Reading Companion, where every thread holds a small, unspoken history. Some stories just stay with you, softly.