The stone circles of the British Isles

History

BURL, Aubrey

Europe

Yale University Press

An account of the prehistoric stone circles at Avebury, which not only date from an earlier era but are also larger than the more famous sarsen stone circle of Stonehenge. Written by an archaeologist, the text considers aspects of Avebury's history and construction and discusses the probable purpose of these massive structures, in the process seeking to create a vivid and moving picture of their creators - a primitive people whose lives were brief, savage and fearful.

Prehistoric Avebury

This practical and knowledgeable guidebook is the first to deal comprehensively with the stone circles of Britain and Ireland and with the cromlechs and megalithic "horseshoes" of Brittany. Filled with fascinating information, useful maps, and arresting photographs, this invaluable resource describes over 400 sites and discusses the archaeology and architectural features of each ring.

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany

Ancient Civilizations

Thousands of years ago, people in Britain painstakingly arranged huge blocks of stone into careful circles. The most famous of these rings is Stonehenge, but elsewhere in England there are remains of other awe-inspiring prehistoric stone circles as well. For those who are enthralled by these enigmatic rings, this book offers fascinating explanations of their many mysteries. Archaeologist Aubrey Burl, for more than thirty years a specialist in the study of stone circles, selects a dozen attractive and evocative rings to illuminate particular archaeological questions―the purpose of stone circles, their construction, age, design, distribution, art, legends, and relation to astronomy. Burl investigates the legends that surround the Rollright Stones of Oxfordshire, for example, and finds that stories of girls turning to stone and of stones going for a midnight drink in the river are mainly fables of the eighteenth century or later. At Stanton Drew near Bristol, three rings provide a vivid example of prehistoric landscaping. Burl offers sometimes surprising answers to questions about Stonehenge: how were its bluestones transported from southwest Wales, why was its Slaughter Stone not used for sacrifice, and why is Stonehenge―the most British of stone circles―not a stone circle and not British? Burl concludes by reconstructing the social history of Swinside in the Lake District, describing the builders, their way of life, and the ceremonies they performed inside their lovely ring.

Great Stone Circles: Fables, Fictions, Facts

This practical and knowledgeable guidebook deals comprehensively with the stone circles of Britain and Ireland and with the cromlechs and megalithic "horseshoes" of Brittany. This new edition includes a section on "Druidical" circles, romantic creations of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. "This book is not only an elegant and practical guide, it is also the best single-volume study of this extraordinary phenomenon, embracing 500 monuments from Shetland to Brittany. . . . Confident, erudite, pleasurable, this volume can be recommended as travel guide, archaeology, literature, and sheer good company."―Ian Sheperd, British Archaeology "This is a wonderful book and is a must for anyone remotely interested in things megalithic."―Paul Walsh, Archaeology Ireland

Physical description; xiii, 258 p., (8) p. of plates : ill., maps ; 25 cm. Notes; Bibliography, p. 242-243. - Includes index. Subjects; Religion, Prehistoric - Great Britain. Rites and ceremonies - Great Britain. Religion, Prehistoric - Great Britain. Rites and ceremonies - Great Britain Megalithic monuments - Great Britain. Tombs - Great Britain. Gods, Celtic. Rites and ceremonies, Prehistoric - Great Britain. Great Britain - Antiquities. Great Britain - Prehistoric man - Rituals. Prehistoric man. Rituals - Great Britain. prehistoric man - rituals. Bridle, Prehistoric. Genre; Illustrated.

Rites of the Gods

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd.

The Stonehenge People: Life And Death At The World's Greatest Stone Circle

The Stonehenge people: Aubrey Burl

J.M.Dent.

Describes standing stones, chambered tombs, and stone circles, discusses the history of each site, and considers why they were built

Megalithic Brittany: A Guide to over 350 Ancient Sites and Monuments

W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.

Stonehenge is just one of almost a hundred vast circular earthworks built in the British Isles over four thousand years ago. Known as henges, they remain one of the mysteries of prehistoric Britain. Unlike stone circles, which are their counterparts in the west, henges have generally been ignored. With their overgrown banks and weathered ditches they attract few visitors. Yet discoveries have revealed fascinating glimpses of the beliefs of their builders. Excavations have unearthed grim evidence of forgotten rituals: a child's sacrifice at Woodhenge; a human burial at the center of Arbor Low; a woman's skull at the entrance to Gorsey Bigbury; winter moonlight at Stonehenge. Such things hint at the power and importance that these huge enclosures once had. The effort needed to raise these spacious rings of earth or chalk, the careful planning of their entrances, the settings of stone or timber inside them and the avenues leading uphill from nearby rivers all make henges among the most exciting and intriguing of the ancient monuments of the British Isles.

Prehistoric Henges (Shire Archaeology)

Shire

For centuries, stone circles have excited the imagination of their visitors, while archaeologists, astronomers and anthropologists have argued about the purpose of these mysterious abandoned rings. In recent years, accurate surveys of many sites have revealed that these monuments were not simply roughly arranged stone circles, but instead elegantly designed ritual centers. Modern excavations have shown that the earliest circles were erected over five thousand years ago and that sightlines were often built into them towards the sun or moon. Whether in northern Scotland, western Ireland, Wales, or southern England, a picture appears of widely dispersed communities constructing great rings for their ceremonies, frequently burying burnt human bone inside them. In Prehistoric Stone Circles, Aubrey Burl studies these rings, explores their history and reveals how we are gradually coming to an understanding of the true significance of these incredible feats of construction.

Prehistoric Stone Circles (Shire Archaeology)

Archaeology

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Books by BURL, Aubrey

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by BURL, Aubrey. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The stone circles of the British Isles

Prehistoric Avebury

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany

Great Stone Circles: Fables, Fictions, Facts

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany

Rites of the Gods

The Stonehenge people: Aubrey Burl

Megalithic Brittany: A Guide to over 350 Ancient Sites and Monuments

Prehistoric Henges (Shire Archaeology)

Prehistoric Stone Circles (Shire Archaeology)