Late 20th century saw rise of alternative archaeology replacing Druids. The public took about 100 years to abandon the idea that Druids built megaliths (from 1860s to 1950s) Richard Atkinson's 1950s book on Avebury was the first to reach the general public with the new archaeological view As the public let go of Druids, a new alternative archaeology immediately sprang up

As the Druid myth faded from public imagination, new earth‑mysteries movements filled the void—envisioning stone circles as tools of wise astronomer‑priests echoing Genesis‑like creation myths.

Key facts claimed:

- Alexander Keiller's 1930s archaeological work at Avebury was instrumental in shifting public understanding away from Druid attributions

- Richard Atkinson's 1950s publications, particularly his 1956 book 'The Pattern of the Past,' helped cement the new archaeological consensus for general audiences

- This new alternative archaeology movement centered on wise astronomer priests concerned with stellar and earth energies in stone circles

- John Michell explicitly referred to this as the 'patriarchal faith' echoing the book of Genesis

- The public took roughly a century to abandon the idea that Druids built megaliths (from the 1860s through the 1950s)

Key Facts

  • The public took about 100 years to abandon the idea that Druids built megaliths (from 1860s to 1950s)
  • Richard Atkinson's 1950s book on Avebury was the first to reach the general public with the new archaeological view
  • As the public let go of Druids, a new alternative archaeology immediately sprang up
  • This new movement centered on wise astronomer priests concerned with stellar and earth energies in stone circles
  • John Michell explicitly referred to this as the 'patriarchal faith' echoing the book of Genesis
  • The earth mysteries movement provided the same imaginative space the Druids had filled

Related site: Stonehenge Avenue — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.

Source: Prof. Ronald Hutton | A History of Megaliths | Megalithomania Conference 2007 | Audio by MegalithomaniaUK