The World of Stonehenge: Virtual Exhibition - University of Reading and British Museum

The British Museum’s ‘The World of Stonehenge’ exhibition, co-curated by a Reading archaeologist, took place in 2022 to worldwide acclaim. It attracted more than 190,000 in person visitors and brought together over 400 objects from 36 institutions across Europe. Now, thanks to a new collaboration, anyone can step back into that once-in-a-lifetime display.

Screenshot of the World of Stonehenge Virtual Exhibition

Step into the World of Stonehenge

The World of Stonehenge: Virtual Exhibition gives users an immersive digital tour of the original British Museum gallery.

The new, virtual version goes well beyond a simple recreation – users can go inside Stonehenge itself and watch it change through time, explore Neolithic flint mines at Grimes Graves, and discover rarely seen prehistoric objects through animation, soundscapes and interactive content. The experience is free to access and works on desktop computers, tablets and phones.

The project was funded by UK Research and Innovation and builds on AHRC-funded research led by British Museum curator Dr Neil Wilkin, in partnership with Professor Duncan Garrow at the University of Reading. The team worked with the University of Southampton and digital heritage specialists ArtasMedia to transform a 3D laser scan of the original gallery, captured during the final weeks of the exhibition in 2022, into a fully interactive online experience.

Explore the virtual exhibition

Meet the project lead at Reading

Professor Duncan Garrow is a leading authority on prehistoric Britain, with research spanning long-term histories of burial practice, material culture and island archaeologies.

View Professor Garrow’s University of Reading profile

Explore the research

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