Customer Reviews

Stonehenge Decoded

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

There is very little that is new in this documentary. It is simply a vehicle to push Dr Parker Pearson's own theory, of which no real evidence in support is provided. We are distracted instead with vivid re-enactments, CGI, and a lot of information that is actually "old news". The latter is incorporated in such a way as to imply that Dr Parker Pearson discovered all of it. People who don't know better could be forgiven for concluding that he discovered Woodhenge, for example.

There are also elements of existing theories which are claimed to be the good Doctor's, when in fact they have been around for a long time (eg that Stonehenge is part of a larger ceremonial complex which also incorporates the nearby Woodhenge).

The only thing that appears to belong to Dr Parker Pearson is the theory that Stonehenge was a temple of the dead. But alas, the documentary ends as it began: with no conclusive evidence to support this.

He also seems determined to have himself viewed as some kind of maverick visionary, insisting that he "broke all the rules" in digging outside the henge walls at Durrington instead of inside. However, it has long been known that the outside of a bank/ditch can yield finds just as important as those inside (such as the food scraps and rubbish found at the Lake Village near Glastonbury).

Overall, I'm not terribly impressed. Too much speculation and stuff I already know, but little to support this guy's theory. Nothing has been decoded, it seems.

Some folks may have an interest in topics like Stonhenge based on "mystical" attractions. Don't go here if that's your thing. National Geographic still gets my support for their scientific approach to such topics rather than taking the easy route, i.e. "x files" ear and eye candy. This program highlights research being done into the reason the ancients built, and how they may have used, this and other similar structures... as well as the communities that may have grown around these amazing human efforts.

They should invent a zero star category for junk like this. National Geographic has hit an all-time low. Take a great narrator, Donald Sutherland, a once-reputable magazine, National Geographic, a professor from an accredited university (Sheffield), with a hefty money-bag of funding, and an archaeological enigma like Stonehenge, and what do you get? Drivel. Oh, it's true they don't claim aliens made it, or Merlin, though in the end it would have been preferable. Our on-screen academic, Prof. Parker meets some South American? Shaman who lends him his insight--`Don't you know what this is?' The Shaman tells Parker. Light bulbs go off as the amazing Parker has a theory! Parker then sets out to prove his theory, and guess what? He does! He finds exactly what he expects to find--how are we surprised by that? We are amazed! We bask in his brilliance!

You can't do this in real research. Parker's valid finds of the remains of a Neolithic settlement and another structure, a wooden structure laid out quite similar to Stonehenge (both of which would merit this NG special, if treated correctly) are completely obscured by the mounds of speculation shoveled upon it as he engages on a feast of imagination to rival when Schliemann tried to make the tiny Troy II into the city of Homer's Iliad. And bingo! He's proved his theory. All of this is worse because in the end there is not just insufficient evidence, but not even one iota of proof of what he proposes. The video should be renamed, Speculations on some finds near Stonehenge, and then it would be fine, but package theory as truth and it becomes something better scraped off the shoe. The speculations (occasionally prefaced by Sutherland's dreamy voice with the caveat `may') are completely out of nowhere. The tragedy is that the average viewer who hasn't spent a lifetime in Academia might not recognize the scent of shoddiness of this kind, but I just about lost my lunch. The film uses re-enactors who mouth some made up language for which they provide SUBTITLES as though the language were real! Re-enactors are fine for a production like Ken Burns' Civil War, where we know what they wore, who they were, what they spoke, and in many cases exactly where they stood. Burns' technique deftly brought facts alive. This special tries to make wild imagination into history. That's fine for the cinema, but this is supposed to be scholarship! The outfits though are great. Not based on anything, but colorful! I kept expecting Mel Gibson to appear and moon somebody. Watch for the part where two arrow nicks on a male leg bone lead to proof of HUMAN SACRIFICE at the Temple of the Dead! A couple of depressions in a floor near a hearth are one moment proof of constant kneeling, and the next moment presto, we're told the building was only occupied for a few days each year. No attempt is made to reconcile these, yet both are vital for his theory. This video is the absolute worst kind of academic deception and I can no longer respect anything produced by National Geographic. Bring back the brain-eating zombie aliens, they were at least funny!

Not worth the time even if you want to waste a few minutes. These guys went wild with maybe this and maybe that. Most of this film is pure speculation without even the slightest evidence. I was wanting a few facts, and that's about all there was. I had to stop it about half way because I just could not tolerate the BS any more. If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Having always been intrigued with Stonehenge, I seized the opportunity to see this fascinating National Geographic production. Despite countless streaming freezes, I stuck it out and was glad I did.

Amazing new theory. I've heard that visitors to Stonehenge, nowadays, see it from a roped-off area and cannot go close to the stones.

What interesting beings we humans are! Wonder how long it took to figure out the solstice... how many years would have to go by for you to figure out the longest day of the year? So many unknowns at that time. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around humans transporting those stone monoliths. Seems impossible.

Great film. Wish I had few interruptions with the freezing delays. Would have made it more enjoyable.

It's what I'd expect from National Geographic. Stonehenge and the outlaying land is seen in a new enlightening history shown with a new reasonable theory complete with strong supporting evidence. I love Stonehenge, and this was a great way to educate anyone who wants to learn about the epic creation.

I teach High School boys and this video kept their attention. Not easy to do! The dramatic re-enactment of the theory on how Stonehenge was built was very well done. I highly recommend this video.

This is the best Stonehenge documentary drama I've seen in a while. It hypothesizes about the ritual purposes of Stonehenge temple, the surrounding landscape, and attempts to recreate the conditions of the time period visually with actors while minimizing the new age hype. The author discusses archaeological finds which prove the area around Stonehenge one supported a thriving community, and perhaps the purpose of multiple henges themselves.

There is some focus on the quarrying of the stones, (which seems to be of huge interest) and how the ancients travelled such long distances to make such an intricate monument as well as theories on the purpose of the temple/s.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent documentary with all the latest info on the enigimatic Stonehenge.

This is the story of one of the greatest prehistoric archaeological discoveries ever made in northern Europe. Dr. Michael Parker Pearson has not only uncovered the largest Neolithic settlement ever found in this part of the world, but also what is probably the very KEY to understanding the most unique and enigmatic monument in northern Europe, Stonehenge. His discovery ranks alongside the discovery of Tut's tomb in Egypt, as one of the most important archaeological finds of all time!

That he broke with the commonly held wisdom among archaeologists that excavation OUTSIDE of henges was a waste of time, leading directly to his finds, and then went on to define one of the most convincing reconstructions of archaic rituals ever attempted, shows what a bold thinker he really is. Yes indeed, this is a great story, not only about great science, but also about the very people who are the ancestors to so many of us, about whom so little is known.

I must say I enjoyed watching this documentary immensely! I saw it on TV, but will have my own copy before long. I'd love to watch this at least a few more times. Highly recommended!

No UFOs, monsters, mystic musings, just actual archaeological-based theories which are as, if not more, fascinating than the oddball-theorists who have no real basis for their claims. Many will be surprised that Stonehenge predates by quite a long time the Celts or Druids and has stood for thousands of years and is part of a much larger complex. Still, its builders will never be completely understood, but now we know more than ever. See also Stonehenge Complete, Third Edition.