Henge

A circular, prehistoric religious enclosure constructed of wood or stones and enclosed by ditches, banks, and walls - and found only in the British Isles. Henge monuments are characteristic of the megalithic period in southern and eastern England in particular. To the west and north, henges often enclose a stone circle. There are 13 such examples, including Avebury and Stonehenge. The circular area is delimited by a ditch with the bank normally outside it. Class I henges have a single entrance marked by a gap in the earthworks, while those of Class II have two such entrances placed opposite each other. Avebury had four entrances. Many henges have extra features such as burials, pits, circles of upright stones (Avebury, Stonehenge) or of timber posts (Durrington Walls, Woodhenge). Henges are often associated with Late Neolithic pottery of grooved ware, Peterborough and Beaker types, dating from the centuries after 2500 BC. Occasional examples were still in use in the Bronze Age, e.g. Stonehenge. Henges are believed to have been focal points for 'ritual' activity, but there is much controversy over their design. They range in size from c 30 meters to more than 400 meters in diameter (Avebury, Durrington Walls).

Type of ritual monument found only in the British Isles in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. They consist of a circular or irregular area enclosed by a bank with a ditch usually but not univerally on the inside. They range in size from monuments c30 metres across like Woodhenge to the vast late Neolithic enclosures more than 400 metres in diameter, such as Avebury and Durring ton Walls. They may have single entrances (Class I henges), two entrances opposite each other (Class II henges) or, in the case of Avebury, four entrances. Internal features also vary considerably: some enclose pits, with or without burials, while others have rings of timbers or timber buildings; 13 examples, including the famous examples of Avebury and Stonehenge, contain stone circles.