Who Owns Stonehenge?

by Christopher Chippindale

Stonehenge, over 4000 years old and the most massive and striking remnant of pre-Roman civilization in Britain, has fascinated man for centuries. Yet although many theories - archaeological and astronomical, mainstream and offbeat - have tried to explain its sense and purpose, it remains an enigma. Yet Stonehenge is not a quiet enigma, it is Europe's most contentious ancient monument. The question of who has rights to the place, and what they may do there, is a much-publicized issue. Annual fights over Stonehenge have become part of the summer ritual, as festival-goers, Druids and mystics gather there in June to practice rites that are ancient or modern, moving or bogus, according to your viewpoint. Five expert contributors now set out their contradictory ideas about Stonehenge, from the viewpoints of archaeologists, ancient Britons, earth-mystery students, civil libertarians and bemused bystanders. Their debate is informed, acute, extra-ordinary, funny - and essential to understanding why the past matters in the world today.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Christopher Ralph Chippindale is a British archaeologist. He worked at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology from 1988 to his retirement in 2013, and was additionally Reader in Archaeology at the University of Cambridge from 2001 to 2013.