Research in the Environs of Stonehenge: the past and the future

A contribution to the Stonehenge Research Forum in London 17 07 2001

The process of creating a Research Framework for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site (WHS) provides the opportunity to draw upon past work and to look forward to tailoring non- destructive methodologies to the needs of an unrepeatable landscape. Together these approaches can contribute to the most effective acquisition of knowledge with minimum damage to the archaeological resource.

The publication of Stonehenge in its Landscape (Cleal el al 1995) set a precedent for similar exercises which it would be valuable to build into the Research Framework. There are at least three areas in which this example could be followed:

1. The drawing together of any unpublished excavations within the WES from pre-developer-funded days.
2. The publication of the more recent developer-funded work, for example projects associated with potential Visitor Centres.
3. A full appraisal of the finds from antiquarian excavations into the surrounding barrows.

The availability of the material from studies of this nature would assist in the asking of appropriate questions for future research and would do for the surrounding landscape what has been done for the monument at its heart.

Another project which would help to gauge the nature of the archaeological resource and inform approaches to its management would be to trace, wherever possible, the history of agricultural practice within the WHS during the twentieth century. The tracking of cultivation processes, their frequency and character may help towards an understanding of why sites look as they do today and how this came about. The development of such a methodology would also be of benefit to areas elsewhere.

Having addressed the topic of what can be gained from past work it is necessary to consider how future research should be formulated. The management of the WHS is a conservation exercise and although it is necessary to understand the archaeology in order to manage it, the main objective must be to achieve this with minimum destruction of the resource.

The deployment of remote sensing techniques as the main investigative approach in all cases, giving nonscheduled sites the same status as scheduled monuments, should be a priority. If there comes a time when areas of the landscape are to be destroyed, detailed geophysical and other non-destructive surveys should be carried out, followed by careful excavation. The comparison of results will aid in the interpretation of the surveys and be test beds for remote sensing methods which can be used within and without the WHS. Useful though they are, such opportunities should only be taken when destruction is inevitable.

The promotion of non-destructive research should be high on the agenda in the writing of the Research Framework. An important part of the process should be investment in developing remote sensing techniques. These, together with a sound knowledge of what has been discovered in the past, will assist in focussing questions for the future.

Ref.- Cleal, R., Walker, K. & Montague, R. 1995. Stonehenge in its Landscape: Twentieth-century excavations. English Heritage.

Gill Swanton.