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Vandalism of Stonehenge

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Vandalism of Stonehenge is a phenomenon that has been occurring for centuries. Until the 17th century, stones disappeared from the site, to be employed at build sites.[2] In the 19th century, tourists employed chisels to cut rock chips off of the megaliths as souvenirs.[3] In the final quarter of the 20th century, repeated vandalism of the site during the summer solstice celebrations on the days around 21 June forced the site's custodians to erect a barrier around the monument, as well as a four-mile (about six and a half kilometres) exclusion zone in its last decade.[4] Vandalism, however, had begun as early as the 1980s.[5]

Vandalism of Stonehenge
Part of the climate movement and Just Stop Oil protests
The vandalism of Stonehenge
LocationStonehenge, Wiltshire, England
Coordinates51°10′44.1″N 1°49′35″W / 51.178917°N 1.82639°W / 51.178917; -1.82639
Date19 June 2024
WeaponsOrange paint made of corn starch
PerpetratorsNiamh Lynch and Rajan Naidu with Just Stop Oil
MotiveDemand the government end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.[1]

In the early 21st century, vandalism included pieces of rock chipped off the monument and graffiti.

Further vandalism took place on 19 June 2024, when climate protesters from Just Stop Oil damaged three of its standing stones by spraying them with orange paint.

Vandalism from the 1980s to the turn of the century

Although the first years of the Free Festival (annual, from 1975 onwards) saw "very little vandalism", Stonehenge had to be fenced off from 1978 onwards.[6] Later, repeated vandalism in the 1980s and 1990s led the authorities to deploy up to hundreds of police, erect barriers around Stonehenge, and impose exclusion zones up to six kilometres from the archaeological monument.[4][5] The vandalism of 1984 included defacing the monument with purple spray paint.[7] The government went so far as to close Stonehenge to protect it from vandalism, but in the face of public outcry (who erroneously feel the site is Druidic, despite Stonehenge having been built thousands of years before the Druids appeared), the government opted to re-open it.[8]

Vandalism in the first two decades of the 21st century

In 2008, two men tore a small slab from one of Stonehenge's megaliths, in what authorities described as "the first vandalism in decades.“[9] A few years later, in 2013, someone defaced the monument, painting a smiley face on it.[10]

Accusations of government vandalism in the 2020s

In 2020, the British transport minister was accused of vandalism when he decreed that the road through the Stonehenge area would be converted into a tunnel that would pass in the immediate vicinity.[11] The project was decades old, but had always been delayed because of its cost or because it was considered archaeological vandalism.[12] The historian Tom Holland opined that «To inflict this act of vandalism on this landscape seems unbelievable.»[13]

2024 vandalism

In 2024, Just Stop Oil vandalised three menhirs. According to Just Stop Oil's website, the paint was made of an "orange cornflour" that would wash away in the rain.[14][15][16] Several bystanders shouted at and attempted to stop the activists. The two activists who defaced the structure were promptly arrested by Wiltshire Police.

Just Stop Oil uploaded a video showing the defacement of the stones and the arrest of the activists involved and said that the activists "decorated" the stones to bring attention to the inability of the British government to "commit to defending our communities."

The group also said that the date of the protest one day prior to the summer solstice intentionally coincided with the planned gathering on that day. English Heritage called the defacement "extremely upsetting" and began an investigation to assess the damage caused by the paint.[17] The English Heritage webpage for Stonehenge calls for visitors to respect the stones since they form a World Heritage Site, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and a place sacred to many.[18] Just Stop Oil named the arrested protesters as 21-year-old student Niamh Lynch and 73-year-old Rajan Naidu.[19][20][21]

The paint was removed the following day with an air blower to avoid damaging the stones.

Reactions

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it a "disgraceful act of vandalism" to one of the UK's and the world's oldest and most significant monuments, and called on anyone associated with Just Stop Oil or who donated to them to condemn the act. Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer called the damage "outrageous" while deeming Just Stop Oil as "pathetic", demanding that the activists and anyone else involved with the act "face the full force of the law".[22]

Archaeologist Mike Pitts expressed his strong concern over the potential damage, and said that the megaliths were fenced off and guarded to protect their surfaces, which were entirely covered in prehistoric markings that have not been fully analyzed. He also expressed concern about possible damage to the diverse lichen patterns on the megalith surfaces.[23][24] By contrast, Just Stop Oil said that the paint would "wash away with the rain" due to the pigment made from corn that they utilized.[22]

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson responded to the outrage by stating that continued government inaction would entitle Just Stop Oil activists to recruit other European activists to acts of resistance, vaguely specifying that, "Stone circles can be found in every part of Europe, showing how we've always cooperated across vast distances – we're building on that legacy."[22]

References

  1. ^ Boobyer, Leigh; Harcombe, Chloe (19 June 2024). "Stonehenge covered in powder paint by Just Stop Oil protesters". BBC. Archived from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  2. ^ Robert Layton; Julian Thomas (1999). "Proposals for a tunnel at Stonehenge: an assessment of the alternatives". World Archaeological Congress. Archived from the original on 7 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2024. Up until the 17th century stones occasionally went missing to help build bridges or houses
  3. ^ "Chisels once given at Stonehenge". BBC. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2024. At one time, chisels would be handed to people visiting Stonehenge, so they could chip away at the ancient monument to get their own souvenirs. But the practice has been outlawed since 1900
  4. ^ a b Humphrys, Geoffrey (June 1994). "Stonehenge--June's flashpoint". The Contemporary Review. 264 (1541): 309. ISSN 0010-7565. Repeated vandalism has led to a barrier being erected around the stones, and during the past four years a four-mile exclusion zone has been enforced from June 11 to June 24
  5. ^ a b Carole M. Cusack (2012). "Charmed Circle: Stonehenge, Contemporary Paganism, and Alternative Archaeology". Numen (journal). 59 (2 y 3). Brill Publishers: 148–149. ISSN 0029-5973. Retrieved 2 July 2024. in 1984 […] Vandalism occurred
  6. ^ Barbara Bender; Mark Edmonds (December 1992). "Stonehenge: whose past? What past?". Tourism Management. 13 (4). Elsevier: 356–357. doi:10.1016/0261-5177(92)90001-N. ISSN 0261-5177. Retrieved 3 July 2024. In the early years of the Free Festival the authorities remained tolerant. After 1978 they roped off the stones inner sanctum towards the Heel […] There was very little vandalism
  7. ^ LAURA MILLER (21 April 2014). "Romancing The Stones". The New Yorker. 90 (9): 48. ISSN 0028-792X. archeologists tolerated Druid rituals at Stonehenge […] By 1984 […] vandalism: "People were climbing all over the stones and spray-painting them purple."
  8. ^ Patricia Monaghan (1 November 2008). "Stonehenge by Rosemary Hill". Booklist. 105 (5). American Library Association: 13. ISSN 0006-7385. it was built several millennia before the Celts with their druid priests arrived on British shores? For several hundred years, people have believed that Stonehenge is connected to the druids, so ardently that public outcry eventually drove the government, which had closed the monument to keep it from vandalism and other deterioration, reopened it
  9. ^ "Souvenir hunters vandalise Stonehenge". The Guardian. Press Association. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2024. Two men used a hammer and screwdriver to chip away at the Heel Stone - a 16ft (4.8m) megalith at the 5,000-year-old site
  10. ^ Rose Eveleth (5 March 2014). "Stonehenge Visitors Used To Be Handed Chisels to Take Home Souvenirs". Smithsonian (magazine). Retrieved 3 July 2024. last year, someone painted a smiley face on the monolith
  11. ^ "Under Stonehenge". The Daily Telegraph. 13 November 2020. p. 19. The road past Stonehenge will be put in a tunnel, the Transport Secretary has decreed, enraging those who declare it vandalism
  12. ^ PHILIP JOHNSTON (19 July 2023). "The scandalous Stonehenge tunnel is a very British waste of taxpayer money". The Daily Telegraph. p. 16. the Government gave the go-ahead for a project that has been talked about for decades but has been rejected as archaeological vandalism or just too costly
  13. ^ Craig Simpson (18 February 2021). "Stonehenge campaigners to take tunnel project to court". The Daily Telegraph: 10. Tom Holland, the historian and president of the alliance, told The Daily Telegraph: "To inflict this act of vandalism on this landscape seems unbelievable
  14. ^ "Protesters arrested after painting Stonehenge monument orange". NBC News. 2024-06-19. Archived from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  15. ^ Melley, Brian (19 June 2024). "Climate protesters arrested over spraying orange paint on Stonehenge monument" (News article). AP News. London: Associated Press. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  16. ^ Melley, Brian (19 June 2024). "Climate protesters arrested over spraying orange paint on Stonehenge monument" (News article). The Washington Post. London: Associated Press. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  17. ^ Ott, Haley (2024-06-19). "Stonehenge sprayed with orange paint by Just Stop Oil activists demanding U.K. "phase out fossil fuels"". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  18. ^ "Please respect the stones". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  19. ^ "Climate Activists Vandalize Stonehenge with Spray Paint". National Review. 19 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Climate activists vandalize Stonehenge by spraying orange powder | Fox News Video". Fox News. 19 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Just Stop Oil protesters cover Stonehenge in orange paint ahead of summer solstice". The Independent. 19 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  22. ^ a b c Stavrou, Athena (2024-06-19). "Just Stop Oil protesters cover Stonehenge in orange paint ahead of summer solstice". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  23. ^ Morris, Steven (19 June 2024). "Stonehenge sprayed with orange powder paint by Just Stop Oil activists". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Climate Protesters Vandalize Stonehenge With Orange Paint". KFYR 550 AM / 99.7 FM. Archived from the original on 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
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