William Stoutley made Druids dominant explanation for megaliths in 1740s. William Stoutley published two famous books on Avebury and Avebury in the early 1740s His fieldwork was unprecedented in its detailed study of the monuments The Druid theory was championed by Scottish members of the Royal Society
Stukeley's 1740s monographs on Stonehenge and Avebury helped cement the Druid myth as the go‑to origin story for megaliths in the newly united Britain.
Key Facts
- William Stoutley published two famous books on Avebury and Avebury in the early 1740s
- His fieldwork was unprecedented in its detailed study of the monuments
- The Druid theory was championed by Scottish members of the Royal Society
- John Aubrey had earlier circulated the theory among Oxford scholars between 1660s-1730s
- The Druids provided a unified heroic past for the newly united British state after 1707
- By the 1770s, Druids appeared in operas at Covent Garden and aristocrats installed stone or live Druids in their grounds
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