Just got some more info on the Stonehenge discussion from the ever-wonderful (not to mention omnipresent) Steve Wilson .
“Climate change and population shifts, occasionally coupled with ecological downgrading of fields, is the flavour of the month with archaeologists at the moment, from Stonehenge to the Mayan cities to Cambodia. They might be right, or another fashionable explain-everything theory may come along. Who knows, it might all be down to “conquest by technologically superior invaders” again soon (as it was in the 1950s).”
On a potential purpose behind the authorities’ treatment of Stonehenge:
“Nice conspiracy theory, and I agree – except the real reason was that the Free Festival had been running for 11 years, and one more year would have made it an ancient festival according to established British property laws that date back to the year dot and are the only reasons that most of the aristocracy “own” their country piles. The ban was on the Festival – which was across the road from the stones, not in them.”
On the reversal of official policy w.r.t. the Stonehenge festival:
“Because Arthur
On the damage done to Stonehenge by the A303:
“Actually the A road didn’t do too much damage, most had already been looted by archaeologists or ploughed under for fields, or indeed used for target practice by the Army. I feel the difference is that Stonehenge is isolated whereas Avebury is in the middle of a community.”