Stone Circles
The Mystery and Meaning of Britain and Ireland’s Ancient Monuments
Carolyn Kennett, Jacqueline A. NowakowskiAn engaging guide to the enduring mysteries of Britain and Ireland’s stone circles
Stone circles are among the most striking and mysterious monuments of prehistoric Britain. Built around 5,000 years ago, they continue to inspire wonder, debate and speculation. Centuries of curiosity about these remarkable structures are explored here alongside the latest archaeological discoveries. From world-famous sites such as Stonehenge to lesser-known circles scattered across Britain and Ireland, the book examines how and why they were built, the roles they played in prehistoric communities and the beliefs that may have shaped them. Challenging long-held assumptions, it reveals stone circles as places of gathering, ceremony and social connection as much as monuments of engineering. At once authoritative and accessible, it shows why these ancient stones continue to capture the imagination today.
Chapter 1: What Is a Stone Circle?
Chapter 2: Standing the Test of Time: Relics of a Bygone Age
Chapter 3: The Route to a More Modern Interpretation
Chapter 4: Monumental Complexities and Landscapes
Chapter 5: The Living Stones: Materiality and Agency
Chapter 6: Adding Flare, Leaving a Mark
Chapter 7: Land, Sea and Sky
Chapter 8: Enduring Fascination: The Afterlives of Megaliths and Stone Circles in Modern Times
References
Recommended Reading
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Carolyn Kennett (Author)
Carolyn Kennett is a writer and astronomer who lives in Cornwall. She is Chair of the Society for the History of Astronomy and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and her books include Uranus and Neptune (Reaktion, 2022).
Jacqueline A. Nowakowski (Author)
Jacqueline A. Nowakowski is an archaeologist and educator based in Cornwall. She is a contributing author to Archaeology and Landscape at the Land’s End (2016) and Tintagel Revisited: New Excavations at a Royal Citadel (2026).
