Finding that the stone circles of northern Britain display a heterogeneity that "fractures the uniformity of typological ordering", Richards presents themes and ideas that provide alternative ways of thinking about the nature of stone circles. He challenges the old paradigm that buildings assume a social role only when they are finished, and suggests that the process of construction itself is the focus and function of the stone circle, as erection relied on the successful negotiation of social relationships, and the physical risk of raising monumental stones may have brought increased status to the builders. He focuses on the stone circle as an enclosure or "wrapping", onion-like spatially, with its concentricity of circles, which both include and exclude, separate and unite. He asks why and how particular stones are chosen for inclusion in the circle: were they included based on where they came from and the qualities derived from specific locations? He also suggests that stones might not have been chosen for durability alone, when mudstone and oak are considered. There are 12 chapters, which are divided into three parts: building the great stone circles of the North; stone circles in Orkney; and stone circles in the Outer Hebrides. Distributed in North America by Casemate Academic, formerly the David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
Of all prehistoric monuments, few are more emotive than the great stone circles that were built throughout Britain and Ireland. From the tall, elegant, pointed monoliths of the Stones of Stenness to the grandeur of Stonehenge and the sarsen blocks at Avebury, circles of stone exert a magnetic fascination to those who venture into their sphere.
Of all prehistoric monuments, few are more emotive than the great stone circles that were built throughout Britain and Ireland. From the tall, elegant, pointed monoliths of the Stones of Stenness to the grandeur of Stonehenge and the sarsen blocks at Avebury, circles of stone exert a magnetic fascination to those who venture into their sphere. In Britain today, more people visit these structures than any other form of prehistoric monument and visitors stand in awe at their scale and question how and why they were erected. Building the Great Stone Circles of the North looks at the enigmatic stone structures of Scotland and investigates the background of their construction and their cultural significance.
