By Tim Binnall
A forthcoming exhibition at the British Museum will celebrate the iconic megalithic monument Stonehenge in what the institution promises to be a "landmark show." Set to open in February of next year, 'The World of Stonehenge' will surprisingly be the first time ever that the legendary site has served as the subject of a major event at the massive and prestigious museum. In keeping with that momentous occasion, curators putting the exhibition together have reportedly amassed a staggering array of artifacts, including approximately 250 pieces that have been loaned to the event from institutions throughout Europe and the UK.
By way of the showing, the museum hopes to enlighten visitors as to the tumultuous and transformative period during which Stonehenge was constructed. "Most people know the monument, but they don’t know the people and they don't know the time of Stonehenge," explained curator Neil Wilkin, "we're going to unravel and contextualize the monument." Among the amazing artifacts set to be on display in the exhibition is a wondrous 3,600-year-old bronze disc which, he marveled, constitutes "the earliest concrete depiction of the cosmos in the world." Another intriguing piece which will be showcased alongside that will be a mysterious golden hat festooned with cosmic symbology and described as a "magical object."
The museum is particularly excited about what they consider to be the centerpiece of the show: a 4,000-year-old circle of 54 oak posts that surrounding a tree stump which emerged from the sands of a beach in Britain back in 1998 and has since been dubbed 'Seahenge' due to its similarities in age and form to the ancient stone site. "We can't bring Stonehenge to the exhibition, but we can bring a monument that's arguably as important," Wilkin mused regarding the peculiar wooden find. All told, the showing will feature a whopping 430 artifacts from the era in which Stonehenge was built, which the museum hopes will provide "new insight on one of the world's great wonders."