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Stonehenge: The Story of a Sacred Landscape
A concise, beautifully illustrated account of the history and archaeology of an iconic feature of the English landscape, from one of Britain’s most distinguished archaeologists.
Perched on the chalk uplands of Salisbury Plain, the megaliths of Stonehenge offer one of the most recognizable 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 c. 3000 BC, 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 delivers an rigorous account of the nature and history of Stonehenge, but also places the enigmatic stones in a wider cultural context, exploring how antiquarians, scholars, writers, artists, 'the heritage industry' - and even neopagans - have interpreted the site over the centuries.
Perched on the chalk uplands of Salisbury Plain, the megaliths of Stonehenge offer one of the most recognizable 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 c. 3000 BC, 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 delivers an rigorous account of the nature and history of Stonehenge, but also places the enigmatic stones in a wider cultural context, exploring how antiquarians, scholars, writers, artists, 'the heritage industry' - and even neopagans - have interpreted the site over the centuries.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2016
25 people are currently reading
1113 people want to read
About the author
Francis Pryor
37 books145 followersFrancis Manning Marlborough Pryor MBE (born 13 January 1945) is a British archaeologist who is famous for his role in the discovery of Flag Fen, a Bronze Age archaeological site near Peterborough, and for his frequent appearances on the Channel 4 television series Time Team.
He has now retired from full-time field archaeology, but still appears on television and writes books as well as being a working farmer. His specialities are in the Bronze and Iron Ages.
His first novel, Lifers’ Club, is due to be published in 2014.
He has now retired from full-time field archaeology, but still appears on television and writes books as well as being a working farmer. His specialities are in the Bronze and Iron Ages.
His first novel, Lifers’ Club, is due to be published in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 22, 2018
I’m pagan, if you hadn’t noticed, and I really want books that give good overviews of ancient sites, where archaeologists are reconstructing through science what people actually were doing at the site and how they lived. Göbeckli Tëpe, the Saraswati river, Ethiopia and Egypt, and of course Stonehenge are some of the sites I’ve found the most interesting. Now Pryor brings an overview of Stonehenge that blows holes in older, still-spread theories.
He’s not shy with the maps, and that’s necessary for a structure that was built over a long period of time in distinct phases. But he’s also not shy with the larger picture that goes beyond the sarsens and bluestones. One of the things I love about 21st century archaeology is its search for how people lived, not just what “important things” they may have done. That doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes, but by and large they are striving to be respectful. Pryor is no exception. He ties in the recent finds of the village nearby, and also pulls in the remnants of a wooden henge not far away.
Here I’m going to take an unpopular position: I support the blocking off of the monument as it currently is. The worst thing in the book was reading about how much damage was done during the Victorian age to the complex, and how people continue to chip off pieces of stone today. Even though modern pagans may feel a strong pull to worship at the site, we must also recognize that we honor our ancestors best when we learn about them and how they lived. The ground is holy, and not just to us as pagans. It is also hallowed ground for those who study the site, its surroundings, and strive to know more about its builders.
Pryor is honest in that we may never know much about the actual rituals performed at the structure. (He also points out repeatedly that in its later forms, those outside would not be able to see inside the innermost structure.) But the use of ground-penetrating radar is revealing so much we never knew before, and in conjunction with careful aerial study of the landscape is a powerful tool. How nice to be able to find the most likely place for artifacts and structures, instead of digging based on educated guess alone!
My favorite part of the book is where Pryor explains the posited reason the site is located where it is. I want you to read it, so I won’t go into it, but there was a geographic reason that Salisbury and the site of Stonehenge in particular caught the eyes of the ancestors. I enjoyed it greatly, and it made me feel closer to those people, both long ago and yet not as far away from us as many people believe.
Pryor’s book is a fantastic overview of Stonehenge and the ritual complex of which it’s the most prominent surviving part, and I can’t wait to start finding some of his sources and reading them. Five of five stars.
He’s not shy with the maps, and that’s necessary for a structure that was built over a long period of time in distinct phases. But he’s also not shy with the larger picture that goes beyond the sarsens and bluestones. One of the things I love about 21st century archaeology is its search for how people lived, not just what “important things” they may have done. That doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes, but by and large they are striving to be respectful. Pryor is no exception. He ties in the recent finds of the village nearby, and also pulls in the remnants of a wooden henge not far away.
Here I’m going to take an unpopular position: I support the blocking off of the monument as it currently is. The worst thing in the book was reading about how much damage was done during the Victorian age to the complex, and how people continue to chip off pieces of stone today. Even though modern pagans may feel a strong pull to worship at the site, we must also recognize that we honor our ancestors best when we learn about them and how they lived. The ground is holy, and not just to us as pagans. It is also hallowed ground for those who study the site, its surroundings, and strive to know more about its builders.
Pryor is honest in that we may never know much about the actual rituals performed at the structure. (He also points out repeatedly that in its later forms, those outside would not be able to see inside the innermost structure.) But the use of ground-penetrating radar is revealing so much we never knew before, and in conjunction with careful aerial study of the landscape is a powerful tool. How nice to be able to find the most likely place for artifacts and structures, instead of digging based on educated guess alone!
My favorite part of the book is where Pryor explains the posited reason the site is located where it is. I want you to read it, so I won’t go into it, but there was a geographic reason that Salisbury and the site of Stonehenge in particular caught the eyes of the ancestors. I enjoyed it greatly, and it made me feel closer to those people, both long ago and yet not as far away from us as many people believe.
Pryor’s book is a fantastic overview of Stonehenge and the ritual complex of which it’s the most prominent surviving part, and I can’t wait to start finding some of his sources and reading them. Five of five stars.
April 22, 2018
Readable, fascinating, and (unlike the other books about history I've read lately) full of pictures and illustrations.
August 9, 2016
Stonehenge. Just the name can conjure up that iconic image of the standing stones and sarsens against the background of the Salisbury Plain. Rightly so, it is a World Heritage site, but it is an enigma as it actual purpose can still only be speculated about. Was it a celestial calendar? Or a ritual site? Perhaps it was used for sacrifices, or used as a focus for the Neolithic peoples who built it. Whatever its purpose, we know that the area has been used for millennia as a place of significance with the first man made changes being made around 3000 BC.
Pryor is an expert in the Bronze and Iron Ages, but his particular speciality is Flag Fen, a huge site in Cambridgeshire that was used extensively for ritual purposes. Whilst he is not an expert on Stonehenge, he does have a gift for seeing the landscape as those people would have done. In this book he draws on the very latest in archaeology and research to give us a broad history of the monument, explores how a range of people have seen and used the site ove the years and considers the context of the site in the wider landscape.
Pryor’s ability to immerse himself in the age and the ability of see the landscape through their eyes, means that we get an expert view of the way that it evolved and changes, without descending into dry academic speak. As well as the rigorous writing, the book is full of excellent photos, high quality plans and beautiful pictures of Stonehenge. It is comprehensive without being complicated and well worth reading.
Pryor is an expert in the Bronze and Iron Ages, but his particular speciality is Flag Fen, a huge site in Cambridgeshire that was used extensively for ritual purposes. Whilst he is not an expert on Stonehenge, he does have a gift for seeing the landscape as those people would have done. In this book he draws on the very latest in archaeology and research to give us a broad history of the monument, explores how a range of people have seen and used the site ove the years and considers the context of the site in the wider landscape.
Pryor’s ability to immerse himself in the age and the ability of see the landscape through their eyes, means that we get an expert view of the way that it evolved and changes, without descending into dry academic speak. As well as the rigorous writing, the book is full of excellent photos, high quality plans and beautiful pictures of Stonehenge. It is comprehensive without being complicated and well worth reading.
January 24, 2017
really really interesting esp the new theories!
September 27, 2025
Returned by library, can not give an honest review.
March 23, 2023
This book is not only informative and interesting, but absolutely beautiful. The way that photographs, paintings and other artwork is interwoven into the scholarly account of the history of Stonehenge is incredibly well done.
June 26, 2018
At last, the Stonehenge book that I’ve been looking for! Of course, there are many Stonehenge books, but most are filled with too many words, not enough historical context, and downright paltry illustrations. Stonehenge: The Story of a Sacred Landscape, in only 200 pages, details activities at Salisbury Plain from the end of the Ice Age (Mesolithic), through the development of the pre-stones ritual landscape (Neolithic), through the building of Stonehenge (British Copper Age and early Bronze Age), to the end of construction (Bronze Age). Each phase is correlated with the growth of British population and changes in society, and how these changes are mirrored in the construction and use of the ritual landscape.
Author Francis Pryor is an archaeologist, skilled at condensing large amounts of data and presenting it logically and succinctly in short chapters with just enough information to support each thesis. There is a refreshing amount of white space in the margins, and illustrations are used whenever they can clarify and shorten the text. Also, there are quite a few full-page color photos, artistic drawings, and historical color paintings, breaking up the text nicely. There’s even a photo of Queen Victoria’s brother on an outing at the Stones.
This book is the perfect gift for anyone (including yourself!) who will be visiting Stonehenge. It’s also an excellent resource for someone who has visited the Stones but still has some questions about the lumps, bumps, and rocks in the area. In fact, for anyone with an interest in Stonehenge: this is the book to read.
Author Francis Pryor is an archaeologist, skilled at condensing large amounts of data and presenting it logically and succinctly in short chapters with just enough information to support each thesis. There is a refreshing amount of white space in the margins, and illustrations are used whenever they can clarify and shorten the text. Also, there are quite a few full-page color photos, artistic drawings, and historical color paintings, breaking up the text nicely. There’s even a photo of Queen Victoria’s brother on an outing at the Stones.
This book is the perfect gift for anyone (including yourself!) who will be visiting Stonehenge. It’s also an excellent resource for someone who has visited the Stones but still has some questions about the lumps, bumps, and rocks in the area. In fact, for anyone with an interest in Stonehenge: this is the book to read.
October 5, 2018
Beautiful illustrations including paintings by Turner and Constable. A brief and easy to follow text summing up what is currently known about the prehistory of Stonehenge and its setting.
January 10, 2022
This book about Stonehenge caught my attention at the library and it's been an interesting narrative overall. I won't lie, there are some dry parts to this book but the stories I found interesting are the discoveries of grave sites, historical excavations and carbon dating.
Stonehenge has been a fascination of mine since I was a teen. My husband, son and I were fortunate enough to take a vacation over a decade ago and visited Stonehenge twice. Highlight of the trip!
The fact that the stones come from Wales and other areas in England show that the stone was not constructed for practical purposes with straightforward business motives. If that were the case, stones would have been sourced as locally as possible. It was far more complex and a place of gatherings for many "tribes" and communities from all over England.
Near Stonehenge at Amesbury Archer a discovery of three males, apparently related, were buried in nearby graves. Human teeth do most of the growing during childhood, therefore the composition of the enamel will reflect the water a child drinks. Experts were able to find where they came from through their teeth. The oldest male came from Germany but a younger male's teeth revealed he grew up in Southern England - his teeth showed he drank water from the chalklands.
In 1978 during an excavation they came upon burial mounds. They found the body of a man with his legs bent and one arm across the chest. The time period could be estimated because of the distinctively shaped arrowheads found. These arrows entered his chest from three different sides of his body. This would seem to imply someone protecting Stonehenge and shooting at the intruder. I think it’s also amazing they can do radiocarbon dates and therefore knew this body was buried somewhere between 2400 and 2140 BC.
These are just a few interesting facts I read in this book by Francis Pryor. If Mike Biles, who writes at A Bit About Britain, wrote a book about Stonehenge I would be very interested to read that book. Historical narratives can be very engaging depending on the author and style.
Stonehenge has been a fascination of mine since I was a teen. My husband, son and I were fortunate enough to take a vacation over a decade ago and visited Stonehenge twice. Highlight of the trip!
The fact that the stones come from Wales and other areas in England show that the stone was not constructed for practical purposes with straightforward business motives. If that were the case, stones would have been sourced as locally as possible. It was far more complex and a place of gatherings for many "tribes" and communities from all over England.
Near Stonehenge at Amesbury Archer a discovery of three males, apparently related, were buried in nearby graves. Human teeth do most of the growing during childhood, therefore the composition of the enamel will reflect the water a child drinks. Experts were able to find where they came from through their teeth. The oldest male came from Germany but a younger male's teeth revealed he grew up in Southern England - his teeth showed he drank water from the chalklands.
In 1978 during an excavation they came upon burial mounds. They found the body of a man with his legs bent and one arm across the chest. The time period could be estimated because of the distinctively shaped arrowheads found. These arrows entered his chest from three different sides of his body. This would seem to imply someone protecting Stonehenge and shooting at the intruder. I think it’s also amazing they can do radiocarbon dates and therefore knew this body was buried somewhere between 2400 and 2140 BC.
These are just a few interesting facts I read in this book by Francis Pryor. If Mike Biles, who writes at A Bit About Britain, wrote a book about Stonehenge I would be very interested to read that book. Historical narratives can be very engaging depending on the author and style.
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Category: Geography
July 22, 2025
I enjoyed this book immensely, and I loved how Francis Pryor, again managed to make not just Stonehenge come alive, but the people that built it. I read this after reading Francis Pryor’s book “Seahenge”, and this was a bit easier, mainly because I had a better idea of what what Francis Pryor was talking about, but also because he just focused on Stonehenge, and nothing else.
The book was informative, with detailed maps, diagrams and clear photos. Francis Pryor’s writing style is relaxed, but you are still being informed about the times of Stonehenge. It was interesting to see how Stonehenge fitted into what Francis Pryor calls the ritual landscape, and talks about Etton and Maxey. This highlighted that the people living in Britain during these important ages weren’t as isolated as we, in the 21stC, might think. It is interesting to note that the Stonehenge we see today is really the last monument built on the site. It is certainly the most enduring, however, Francis Pryor shows us the gradual development of the are as a ritual landscape that culminated in Stonehenge. The most interesting thing for me, is that, we will possibly never really know or understand all there is about Stonehenge, and I think that this is awe inspiring, given our technology and knowledge that there are still some mysteries in live that will never be completely solved.
Again, this was another brilliant book by a man who has an absolute passion for what he does and this comes through in every page.
The book was informative, with detailed maps, diagrams and clear photos. Francis Pryor’s writing style is relaxed, but you are still being informed about the times of Stonehenge. It was interesting to see how Stonehenge fitted into what Francis Pryor calls the ritual landscape, and talks about Etton and Maxey. This highlighted that the people living in Britain during these important ages weren’t as isolated as we, in the 21stC, might think. It is interesting to note that the Stonehenge we see today is really the last monument built on the site. It is certainly the most enduring, however, Francis Pryor shows us the gradual development of the are as a ritual landscape that culminated in Stonehenge. The most interesting thing for me, is that, we will possibly never really know or understand all there is about Stonehenge, and I think that this is awe inspiring, given our technology and knowledge that there are still some mysteries in live that will never be completely solved.
Again, this was another brilliant book by a man who has an absolute passion for what he does and this comes through in every page.
November 11, 2022
This short yet comprehensive study benefits greatly from the natural, conversational style of the author. This is not a detailed examination of any particular excavation at the site, but rather an overview intended to give the non-academic reader a reasonably complete picture of the evolution of this famous monument in its proper historical and geographical context (the 'sacred landscape' of the title). Having heard Professor Pryor speak (in Time Team on TV), I had the strong impression that he was reading this book to me. So much has been written, broadcast and said about Stonehenge, it's hard to call any book on it definitive, but unless you're an archeology student, this one provides a very complete picture of what we know, how we learned it, and why it matters. As a bonus, it's abundantly illustrated and the illustrations compliment the text nicely. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the subject.
February 7, 2020
The person who recommended this book gave me the impression it was a cultural history of what Stonehenge has meant and how it's been seen in the modern world. It's actually more of an ancient-world cultural history, which wasn't what I was looking for, but it's good in its own right.
Pryor discusses how Stonehenge was built and arranged, arguing that the site on Salisbury Plain was sacred for generations, so the construction work there was ongoing — the many features of Stonehenge aren't all one grand design but multiple elements added or changed over the years. Interesting, though like I said not what I wanted to learn.
Pryor discusses how Stonehenge was built and arranged, arguing that the site on Salisbury Plain was sacred for generations, so the construction work there was ongoing — the many features of Stonehenge aren't all one grand design but multiple elements added or changed over the years. Interesting, though like I said not what I wanted to learn.
May 4, 2019
A succinct guide to the immortal henge, largely about the history of the archaeology that has revealed its mysteries over the last 200 or so years, but also a good introduction to the succession of cultures that made the site meaningful and then awe-inspiring. Numerous illustrations, including art inspired by the monument, provide good color and break up the text. I wish I'd read this book before visitng Stonehenge and recommend it highly to anyone making the sacred trek.
August 29, 2019
Over the bank holiday weekend I visited Stonehenge for the first time, and wanted to read a book about the iconic site which I knew so little about. This was the perfect book; comprehensive without being complicated, it takes the reader through the different phases of time and construction. It is also beautifully illustrated. The only thing perhaps missing was a brief conclusion; the appendix that the book ends on is a little jarring, especially given the careful endings of the other chapters.
January 6, 2023
This is a gorgeously designed book, with lovely illustrations and historic artworks. If anyone is looking for a romanticized, speculative tale of Stonehenge, this is not it. As a fan of Time Team, I was not surprised at Francis Pryor's strictly matter-of-fact tone and focus on the archaeological details. Basically, this is a phase-by-phase account of the building of Stonehenge. He dryly dispels some of the myriad myths surrounding this spot, but at the same time the writing can be fairly dry.
January 15, 2023
As someone who's not an archaeologist nor a geologist, but is a generally well-educated person, I found this incredibly hard to follow. The writing is dense and not explained well for a general audience. I gave up reading after the first chapter (only got that far so I'd know where to pick back up if ever I want to) and just flipped through the pictures.
March 6, 2018
Will read this again - Finished it whilst visiting the Prehistoric landscape around Stonehenge. A good mildly technical read.
February 7, 2022
Diddorol, braidd yn sych.
Interesting, a bit dry.
Interesting, a bit dry.
February 24, 2022
Continuous narrative but overly complex, not easy to pick up and read sections
April 20, 2024
Pretty interesting, but I found myself tuning out a lot, probably because I had a hard time visualizing what the author was describing and because I'm not familiar with ancient human history.
September 2, 2024
It's a good book, full of knowledge. It was hard for me to follow, so it was a slower read for me. But I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves history and is interested in Stonehenge.
June 2, 2025
A beautifully produced book and a very rewarding read in preparation for my visit to Stonehenge. Reading it felt like a fireside chat with the author.
August 27, 2018
On a whim on the eve of my trip to Stonehenge. Although Pryor is an archaeologist and an academic, I found this to be very readable and useful for "setting the scene" for a trip to Stonehenge. His points about Stonehenge being part of a larger tale, and a time when religion played a larger part in people's lives than it does today were helpful for contextualization. It matters less whether the point was the summer or winter solstice than that people were aware of these as a part of their daily lives. I wish I'd read this on my tablet or in hard copy as some of the illustrations were challenge on the Paperwhite. That's a format issue though not a book one. Overall I'd recommend this
October 11, 2018
I read this mainly because I was going to visit Stonehenge but it was actually an interesting read. Loved how they explained the theory that the huts in the area were built out of wood for the living because it was only meant to be temporary but Stonehenge was built out of stone because stone is eternal just like our ancestors. I think anyone interested in Stonehenge, early civilizations, or history would find this book worth reading.
January 16, 2018
I won a copy of this book.
Wow! Such an interesting book. Seriously, I couldn't put it down. Stonehenge has always been interesting to me because there isn't much known. Speculation mostly. This book digs deeper into new thinking and proof about Stonehenge. Seriously well written and interesting.
Wow! Such an interesting book. Seriously, I couldn't put it down. Stonehenge has always been interesting to me because there isn't much known. Speculation mostly. This book digs deeper into new thinking and proof about Stonehenge. Seriously well written and interesting.
September 11, 2018
An engaging and very readable overview of archaeologists' current understanding of the Stonehenge monuments, that does well to describe the successive stages of use and discuss the possible engagement of those who "built" it.
The hardback book itself is beautifully illustrated with photos, paintings, plans and maps, although it was smaller in size than I had expected, about 7.5 inches square.
The hardback book itself is beautifully illustrated with photos, paintings, plans and maps, although it was smaller in size than I had expected, about 7.5 inches square.
February 28, 2018
Someday I will get to visit Stonehenge but until then this book really tells the history of this monument and the archeology surrounding it.
Read
July 7, 2018Very interesting and certainly is readable with lots of illustrations to make the text clear. I haven't been there since the 60's but would love to see the changes and visit the museum.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews