Stonehenge, Today and Yesterday

In Short

This volume serves as a practical, scholarly guide to Stonehenge, blending geological analysis with archaeological findings to demystify the ancient site. It details the construction methods, the composition of the stones, and the relationship between the circle and the surrounding burial mounds. By stripping away centuries of romanticized myth—most notably the "Druid" attribution—the book provides a grounded, scientific perspective on the monument’s creation and purpose. It remains a valuable resource because it synthesizes the work of early 20th-century experts into an accessible, clear, and enduring narrative for the curious visitor.

The Story

The narrative begins by framing Stonehenge not as a mystical, impenetrable puzzle, but as a monumental engineering project that reveals its own history to those willing to look closely. The author guides the reader through the geography of Salisbury Plain, establishing the site’s physical setting before moving into the "lithology" or the study of the stones themselves. He distinguishes between the local "Sarsen" stones—the large, weathered remains of a sandstone sheet that once covered the region—and the "Foreign Stones," which were imported from great distances and hint at a non-British, perhaps continental, origin for the builders.

The core of the book moves from the materials to the mechanics of construction. Through the analysis of tools found at the site, the author establishes that the builders were a primitive, stone-using society. He describes the process of dressing stones with flint hammers and mauls, and explains the sophisticated use of tenons, mortices, and "toggle" joints that allowed these massive structures to remain standing for millennia. By shifting the focus to these technical details, the author dismantles the popular notion that the monument was built by the Druids, arguing instead that it is a far older structure dating back to the early Bronze Age.

The narrative then addresses the "Sun Temple" hypothesis. While acknowledging the compelling astronomical alignment of the monument—particularly the sunrise on the Summer Solstice—the author encourages a cautious, balanced view. He notes that while the site was almost certainly religious and likely involved sun worship, the "Hele Stone" and other features suggest a complex, perhaps layered, history of use rather than a single, unified purpose.

The final arc of the story connects the stone circle to the "sea of carpet" that surrounds it: the hundreds of burial mounds, or barrows, that cluster around the monument. The author argues that these barrows were the graves of the same people who built the circle, viewing them as a cemetery for the elite of a society transitioning from the use of flint to bronze. The story concludes by placing the monument in the context of the people who raised it—a distinct group, possibly of Iberian or Gaulish origin, who possessed a high level of social organization. The book ends not with a final, unchangeable truth, but with a respectful nod to the ongoing work of archaeology, leaving the mystery of the monument’s exact ritual purpose as a subject for future discovery.

How It Unfolds

The setting of the scene The book introduces Salisbury Plain as a vast, verdant space where the monument sits in silent connection with the surrounding landscape. It encourages the reader to view the stones not as a chaotic ruin, but as a carefully planned architectural design.

The anatomy of the stones The author provides a detailed breakdown of the Sarsen stones and the foreign monoliths, explaining their geological origins and how they survived the elements. This beat establishes the physical reality of the materials before addressing the human labor involved.

The mechanics of construction This section explores the tools and techniques used to raise the stones, noting the absence of metal. It details the mortice and tenon joints that provide the structure with its remarkable stability.

The question of origin and purpose The book examines the "Druid" myth and the "Sun Temple" theory, weighing evidence from archaeology and astronomy. It concludes that while the monument is likely a religious site dating to around 1700 B.C., one should remain wary of over-interpreting its specific rituals.

The cemetery of the plain The final portion focuses on the barrows, analyzing their types and contents. It argues that these burial mounds are inextricably linked to the builders of Stonehenge, representing a society that honored its dead in the shadow of its great temple.

The People

The individuals mentioned are not protagonists in a traditional sense, but historical figures and specialists whose findings shape our understanding. General Pitt Rivers and Mr. Gowland appear as the disciplined scientists whose excavations provided the "scientific accuracy" necessary to move beyond speculation. Their work is the bedrock of the book, as they unearthed the flint tools and debris that prove the builders were a stone-using people.

The author also brings in Sir Norman Lockyer, the astronomer whose calculations regarding the "obliquity of the ecliptic" helped date the monument to the early Bronze Age. His contribution provides a critical counterpoint to the archaeological evidence, confirming the dates independently.

Finally, there are the "builders" themselves—a collective, nameless group of people. The author characterizes them as a sophisticated, organized culture, potentially descended from Gaulish migrants. They are not the semi-mythical Druids of folklore, but rather industrious laborers who worked with stone mauls and flint chisels. They are portrayed as a people who understood their environment, respected their dead, and possessed a clear, intentional design for their temple, leaving their legacy in the mortice holes and the carefully aligned axis of the site.

In Its Own Voice

Regarding the physical state of the monument and its surrounding landscape, the author reflects on the enduring connection between the circle and the barrows:

Stonehenge and the Barrows, each casting light upon the other's origin, confirming and reconfirming each other's existence, knit together to-day as yesterday, by a bond of close union which even Time and speculations cannot sever.

On the misconception of the monument’s origins, the author clarifies the lack of evidence for the most common myths:

There seems to be no valid reason for supposing that Stonehenge was erected by the Druids.

Describing the sheer scale of the labor involved in shaping the stones, the author highlights the ingenuity of the builders:

It has been suggested, and with every show of reason, that one extremity of the imposts would be raised and packed with timber.

What It's Really About

The book is a testament to the power of scientific inquiry to strip away centuries of folklore. It argues that mystery should not be an excuse for lazy conjecture; instead, it advocates for a "strictly detached position" where geology, archaeology, and astronomy work in tandem. At its heart, the text asks what it means to be a "primitive" society, challenging the assumption that a people without metal tools were incapable of sophisticated engineering or complex religious thought. It frames Stonehenge as a bridge between the living and the dead, a site where the observation of celestial patterns met the human need to memorialize ancestors, suggesting that the drive to understand our place in the universe is a permanent feature of the human experience.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate a methodical, "just-the-facts" approach to history will find this book immensely satisfying. It is written with a calm, guiding tone that feels like a walk through the site with an expert who respects both the monument and the reader’s intelligence. You will love it if you enjoy learning about the "how" of history—the nitty-gritty of stone-dressing and site engineering.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the book's 1916 perspective. You will encounter the formal, slightly academic prose of a different era, and some of its terminology regarding "races" and "civilization" reflects the colonial-era attitudes of its time. These sections can feel dated, though they do not detract from the author’s primary goal of presenting archaeological data. There is a certain charm in the author’s earnestness; he isn't trying to sell you a miracle or a conspiracy, but simply to share the wonder of a tangible, weathered, and magnificent piece of the past. What stays with you is the image of the Neolithic worker laboring with a flint maul, a quiet reminder that the grandest human achievements often arise from the most humble, persistent efforts.