Stonehenge

Whether we consider Stonehenge as just the stone circle and associated henge monument, or as part of a wider landscape, depends entirely upon the questions that we want to answer.

Studying the stone themselves can provide information about how the monument was constructed. For example, the use of mortice-and-tenon joints might suggest that the builders were familiar with timber construction techniques, and adapted these to the construction of the stone circle.

If, however, we wish to attempt to understand why Stonehenge was built, then we have to consider the monument as part of the wider landscape. We need to try to understand its relationship with other monuments in that landscape, both geographically and chronologically.