Stonehenge: the Monument and the Mindset that Built It
Stonehenge has received a plethora of explanations as to the purpose of its construction, the function it was intended to serve. Given the size, weight and overall difficulty in handling the materials employed in the massive structure, we can be sure there was a specific reason for the way it was co...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Journal of cognition and culture
Year: 2025, Volume: 25, Issue: 5, Pages: 471-517 |
| Further subjects: | B
Darvill
B Levy-Bruhl B Parker Pearson B Fertility B Magic B Hutton B prelogical mindset B Dual processing B solstice B Stonehenge |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Stonehenge has received a plethora of explanations as to the purpose of its construction, the function it was intended to serve. Given the size, weight and overall difficulty in handling the materials employed in the massive structure, we can be sure there was a specific reason for the way it was constructed. Identifying the functional purpose of Stonehenge has been rendered feasible by recent advances in understanding the human cognitive system, which has identified certain features of the traditional, pre-modern mindset, how it understands the working of the world and how to go about effecting desired changes in the world. That traditional mindset was heavily dedicated to a belief in the reality and efficacy of magic, consisting of supernatural forces (and beings) and the special human powers and techniques capable of manipulating those forces to achieve changes in worldly conditions. Understanding the details of how that magical control was exercised, tells us how Stonehenge was intended to function, what purpose it was intended to serve. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5373 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of cognition and culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685373-12340220 |
