Who owns Stonehenge? - Christopher Chippindale

Stonehenge, over 4000 years old and the most massive and striking remnant of pre-Roman civilization in Britain, has fascinated man for centuries. Yet although many theories - archaeological and astronomical, mainstream and offbeat - have tried to explain its sense and purpose, it remains an enigma.;Yet Stonehenge is not a quiet enigma, it is Europe's most contentious ancient monument. The question of who has rights to the place, and what they may do there, is a much-publicized issue. Annual fights over Stonehenge have become part of the summer ritual, as festival-goers, Druids and mystics gather there in June to practice rites that are ancient or modern, moving or bogus, according to your viewpoint.;Five expert contributors now set out their contradictory ideas about Stonehenge, from the viewpoints of archaeologists, ancient Britons, earth-mystery students, civil libertarians and bemused bystanders. Their debate is informed, acute, extra-ordinary, funny - and essential to understanding why the past matters in the world today.