The World of Stonehenge at The British Museum

 

Nebra Sky Disc, Germany, about 1600 BC. Photo courtesy of the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
Photo: Juraj Lipták.

 
 

The World of Stonehenge

February 17, 2022 — July 17, 2022

 

Towering above the Wiltshire countryside, Stonehenge is perhaps the world's most awe-inspiring ancient stone circle.

Shrouded in layers of speculation and folklore, this iconic British monument has spurred myths and legends that persist today. In this special exhibition, the British Museum will reveal the secrets of Stonehenge, shining a light on its purpose, cultural power, and the people that created it.

Following the story of Britain and Europe from 4000 to 1000 BC, you'll learn about the restless and highly connected age of Stonehenge – a period of immense transformation and radical ideas that changed society forever.

The human story behind the stones reveals itself through a variety of fascinating objects. Among these are stone axes from the North Italian Alps, stunning gold jewelry, and astonishing examples of early metalwork including the Nebra Sky Disc – the world's oldest surviving map of the stars. A remarkably preserved 4,000-year-old timber circle dubbed Seahenge also takes center stage in the show, on loan for the very first time. All these objects offer important clues about the beliefs, rituals, and complex worldview of Neolithic people, helping to build a vivid sense of life for Europe's earliest ancestors. 

Informed by ground-breaking recent archaeological and scientific discoveries, this landmark exhibition offers new insight on one of the world's great wonders, bringing the true story of Stonehenge into sharper focus than ever before.

 
 
 

Click the image below to watch What's the Meaning of Stonehenge?

 

Click the image below to watch Stonehenge's Richest Man | The Bush Barrow Chieftain.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Collection Highlights

 

Stonehenge at sunset
© English Heritage

Gold bulla-pendant
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Nebra Sky Disc, Germany, about 1600 BC. Photo courtesy of the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
Photo: Juraj Lipták.

The Battersea Cauldron | Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Gold lunula | Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Sword | Late Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Gold armlet | Early Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Sheet-Bronze Shield | Late Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

The Folkton Drums | Late Neolithic
© The Trustees of the British Museum

The Ringlemere Cup | Early Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Copper alloy socketed spear-head with no ribs and nine dents | Late Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

The Blessington lunula | Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Gold basket ornament | Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Copper alloy flat axe | Early Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Stone slab with carved concentric rings. Mounted on plaster plinth. | Neolithic/Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Stone Axes | Neolithic/Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

The Oxborough Dirk | Middle Bronze Age
© The Trustees of the British Museum

 

Stone Henge Print from Great Britain Illustrated: A Series of Original Views from Drawings by William Westall, A.R.A. Engraved by, and under the direction of, Edward Finden, With Descriptions by Thomas Moule | 1830
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Sarge Stonehenge print made by David Charles Reade | 1838
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Print by William Blake from Jerusalem: The Emanation of The Giant Albion. | 1804-1821
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Print made by Joseph Ryland. View of Stonehenge, in circle; likely an illustration to an unidentified edition of Almon's 'The New Present State of Great Britain'. | 1770-1790
© The Trustees of the British Museum

 
News 9, Exhibitions 2Editorial TeamArt of the Ancestors, Steven G. Alpert, Asian Art, Island Southeast Asian Art, Oceanic Art, Asiatica, Ethnographica, Ethnographic Art, Art Collection, Fine Art, Primitive Art, Indonesian Art, Tribal Art, Eyes of the Ancestors, Dr. Reimar Schefold