From School Library Journal
---------------------------
Starred Review. Grade 5–8—This title is not just an
examination of recent breakthroughs at Stonehenge, but rather an
essay on the process of archaeology and a hopeful reminder to
future archaeologists that all the great sites are not yet dug or
fully understood. In 2005, the Riverside Project, led by Mike
Parker Pearson, made several significant discoveries that placed
Stonehenge within a much larger Neolithic complex. Pearson began
with a hypothesis, suggested by a retired archaeologist from
Madacar, that, as in Madacar, the stone of Stonehenge was
to honor ancestors and the dead, and that there would be a sister
complex made of wood for the living. This idea was radically
different from the previously accepted theory of Stonehenge being
used as a temple. The ongoing work of the Riverside Project has
revised the long-accepted dates of when Stonehenge was built and
found much to support Pearson's hypothesis. Aronson writes in a
casual style and addresses readers directly, which effectively
conveys the excitement of this research, although it does
occasionally assume some background knowledge that seems
unlikely. The story of how Pearson became involved in archaeology
and came to work at Stonehenge gets nearly as much attention as
the work currently being done there and underscores one of
Aronson's central themes—that we are constantly adding to our
understanding of the past. Large, colorful photographs complement
the text and several s capture what archaeology-in-progress
looks like. A useful, attractive, and highly readable
book.—Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )
From Booklist ( /gp/feature.html/?docId=1000027801 )
----------------------------------------------------
*Starred Review* As in his contributions to Scott Reynolds
Nelson’s Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John
Henry (2008), Aronson’s focus here is less on presenting the past
as a tidy narrative than explaining how a cautious interpretation
of historical—or in this case archaeological—clues can connect
the dots in less-speculative ways. Aronson investigates the work
of archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson and his controversial theory
that Stonehenge is but one end of a memorial ritual pathway that
would have had an equivalent wooden structure at the other end.
Despite the challenges of looking for supporting evidence that
would be at least as old as the Egyptian pyramids and that was
left by a society with no written records, the painstaking digs
of Pearson’s Riverside Project have turned up roadways, signs of
a large prehistoric settlement, and ins into how some of the
henges, mounds, and other ancient human works in the area might
have been created and used. Aronson briefly mentions the 2009
discovery of an earlier stone circle (dubbed “Bluestonehenge”)
nearby, sums up previous archaeological studies, and closes with
an impassioned restatement of his theme—that fresh eyes can shed
light on the deepest secrets of science. Time lines, resource
lists, and photos of researchers at work add even more value to
this informative, thought-provoking study. A uniquely perceptive
look at how real science works, this covers a topic whose
fascination derives in no small part from the interplay between
the mysteries of the unknown and the excitement of new discovery.
Grades 4-6. --John Peters
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )
See all Editorial Reviews (
/dp/product-description/1426305990/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&isInIframe=0
)