In this book, archaeologist Julian Richards sets out to tell Stonehenge's fascinating story up to the present archaeological moment. Starting with a clear explanation of the structures of earth and stone that the monument is composed of, Richards then charts the ways that Stonehenge has been viewed, explored, and explained since medieval times, from its role in the folklore of giants, wizards, and druids, to its use for lavish burials of the elite and their gold, to its importance in the birth of modern archaeology.