Richards Colin, Cummings Vicki. Stone Circles: A Field Guide

Yale University Press, 2024. — 420 p.The definitive guide to the stone circles of Britain and Ireland.From Stonehenge and the Ring of Brogdar to the Rollright Stones and Avebury, the British and Irish Isles are scattered with the stone circles of our prehistoric ancestors. Although there have been many theories to explain them, to this day there is no consensus about their purpose.Colin Richards and Vicki Cummings provide a clear and illuminating field guide to 424 key stone circle sites in Britain and Ireland. Organised by region, this handy volume sets out the features of these megalithic monuments, including their landscape position, construction, and physical properties. The authors take stock of cutting-edge research and recent excavations stone circles that were previously lost to time. They present new insights on the chronology, composition, and roles of different circles to transform our understanding the sites.Beautifully illustrated with photographs, maps, and plans, this is an essential guide to Britain and Ireland’s most mysterious prehistoric monuments.Colin Richards is professor of archaeology at the University of the Highlands and Islands and author of numerous books, including Building the Great Stone Circles of the North. Vicki Cummings is professor of Neolithic archaeology at the University of Cardiff and is the author of several works, including The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland. This is the authors’ second cowritten book, after Monuments in the Making.