Stonehenge explored in special Reading lecture

Stonehenge is one of the world’s best-known, but also most misunderstood monuments.

 A new talk coming to the University of Reading next month will help bring the mysteries of the stones to life.

Professor Duncan Garrow will draw on his research and acclaimed exhibition work.

The talk, Into the World of Stonehenge, takes place on Tuesday, 14 October at the Van Emden Lecture Theatre in the Edith Morley Building at the University of Reading.

Running from 6pm, the two-hour event will explore the real human stories behind one of the world’s most recognisable monuments.

Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has stood on Salisbury Plain for more than 4,500 years.

MORE CHEESELOGS: Pay just £1 to see Reading’s Only The Poets at the Brixton Academy

Its massive stone circle was constructed in phases and has been the subject of debate for centuries, with theories on its use ranging from it being an astronomical observatory to a sacred burial site.

Today, it attracts more than a million visitors annually, who come to marvel at its scale and speculate about its origins, its construction and its purpose.

Professor Garrow co-curated the British Museum’s landmark World of Stonehenge exhibition in 2022, which attracted 190,000 visitors and was accompanied by a bestselling book.

His Reading lecture will revisit some of the artefacts that featured in the show, including gold and bronze metalwork and simple wooden objects. Each offers an insight into the complex and interconnected society that created Stonehenge.

As part of the evening, audiences will also be given a preview of a new immersive 3D experience designed to transport digital visitors beyond the museum walls and into the prehistoric world.

Professor Garrow is one of the UK’s leading authorities on prehistoric Britain, with published works including Technologies of Enchantment? Exploring Celtic Art 400 BC to AD 100 (2012), Neolithic Stepping Stones (2017) and Grave goods: objects and death in later prehistoric Britain (2022).

His research focuses on long-term histories of burial practice, material culture and island archaeologies.

For those unable to attend in person, a livestream link will be made available closer to the date.

Entry is free, but places need to be reserved in advance.

For more details, log on to: https://www.reading.ac.uk/events/Feed/2025/October/Public-Lecture-October-2025