HOW GRAND! HOW WONDERFUL! HOW INCOMPREHENSIBLE!
(Colt Hoare on Stonehenge in The Ancient History of Wiltshire 1812)

Begun 5,000 years ago, and remodelled several times in the centuries that followed, Stonehenge represents one of the most remarkable achievements of prehistoric society. Despite centuries of research and speculation we do not know what its function was, but we do know that its major axis is aligned with mid-summer sunrise and mid-winter sunset, suggesting a link with the seasons and there are a select group of human cremations in a number of phases suggesting a funerary purpose.

There are 70 stones within the henge containing the largest collection of rock carvings in southern England. The mapping of the stone surfaces has been identified as a high priority in the Stonehenge Research Strategy and for this reason English Heritage have commissioned the survey. Laser scanning of the sarsens and bluestones and photogrammetric recording of the lintels enables the recording of the site more accurately than ever before and without physical contact – this is important as the giant sarsens and bluestones have suffered from various forms of use and abuse over the last few centuries, including the chipping of bluestones as a ‘legitimate’ tourist past time until well into the 20th century. By laser scanning the stones and the ground around the henge, we hope to be able to enhance our knowledge about this internationally important site, without having any impact on the monument at all. It will also allow English Heritage to monitor change, such as that brought about by visitor erosion, and make more informed management decisions by providing an accurate baseline of the condition of the monument in 2011.