Abstract/Summary

The sarsen and bluestone stones at Stonehenge (Wiltshire, UK) have played a significant role in the development of twentieth-century ideas about Neolithic and early Bronze Age social structure. Sarsen and bluestone are not, however, the only rock types used at Stonehenge. The varied stones present at the monument include previously under-studied material, such as the normally unseen, and largely forgotten, packing stones for Stonehenge’s famous settings. By reflecting on more recently developed theoretical frameworks to interpret this variety, this paper exposes the possibility that an alternative to the dominant discourse, in which Stonehenge represents the culmination of Neolithic social evolution, is possible.