{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.henge","code":"thing-q1035294","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1035294/","name":"henge","alternateNames":["standing stones"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A prehistoric earthwork of the Neolithic and early Bronze Age in Britain and Ireland consisting of a circular or oval bank with an internal ditch enclosing a flat area, often containing timber or stone circles, pits or burials; the term is also used loosely for the stone circles themselves, as at Stonehenge, though archaeologists define a henge by its bank and ditch.","purpose":"Let an agent explain what a henge is in archaeological terms, distinguish henges from stone circles and other enclosures, relay dating, distribution and interpretation from archaeological sources with attribution, and relay heritage protection and visiting information.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Internal ditch and external bank","Circular or oval plan","Ceremonial rather than defensive","Confined to Britain and Ireland"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"define","name":"Define","description":"What a henge is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition and features.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What defines a henge in archaeology, and how does it differ from a stone circle or a hillfort?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the monument a henge, a stone circle or another enclosure?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"kinds","name":"Kinds","description":"Kinds.","findings":[{"id":"kinds-finding","name":"Kinds","description":"Kinds.","questions":[{"text":"What kinds of henge exist, from mini-henges to superhenges?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific site?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"date","name":"Date","description":"Dating and distribution.","layers":[{"id":"dating","name":"Dating","description":"Dating.","findings":[{"id":"dating-finding","name":"Dating","description":"Dating.","questions":[{"text":"When were henges built, and how are they dated?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which entry fits radiocarbon dating?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"distribution","name":"Distribution","description":"Distribution.","findings":[{"id":"distribution-finding","name":"Distribution","description":"Distribution.","questions":[{"text":"Where are henges found, and how many are known?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"interpret","name":"Interpret","description":"Function and meaning.","layers":[{"id":"function","name":"Function","description":"Interpretations.","findings":[{"id":"function-finding","name":"Function","description":"Function.","questions":[{"text":"What do archaeologists propose about the function of henges, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation clear about what is proposed rather than known?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"landscape","name":"Landscape","description":"Landscape context.","findings":[{"id":"landscape-finding","name":"Landscape","description":"Landscape.","questions":[{"text":"How do henges relate to other monuments in their landscapes?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Neolithic Britain?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"protect","name":"Protect","description":"Protection and visiting.","layers":[{"id":"protection","name":"Protection","description":"Protection.","findings":[{"id":"protection-finding","name":"Protection","description":"Protection.","questions":[{"text":"How are henges protected, and what threats do they face?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits scheduled monuments?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"visiting","name":"Visiting","description":"Visiting.","findings":[{"id":"visiting-finding","name":"Visiting","description":"Visiting.","questions":[{"text":"Which henges can be visited, and what rules apply?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the information current?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain what archaeologists mean by a henge and how it differs from a stone circle.","Relay dating, distribution and interpretation of henges with sources and stated uncertainty.","Give visitor information published by the site's guardian."],"mustNot":["Present speculative astronomical or ritual interpretations as established fact.","Call any stone circle a henge without the bank and internal ditch that define one.","Encourage climbing, digging, metal detecting or removing material at a henge.","Disrespect present-day ceremonies held at henges by pagan and other communities."],"requiresHuman":["Any survey, excavation or intervention on a protected monument."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Henges are irreplaceable heritage that visitor damage and ploughing can erase.","Some communities hold henges as sacred and deserve respect for their practices."],"affectedParties":["Future generations","Communities who hold the sites sacred","Landowners and site guardians"]},"owners":{"steward":"The landowner or heritage guardian; the heritage authority protects scheduled monuments.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["National heritage lists of scheduled monuments","Historic environment records"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q811979","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"prehistoric earthwork","type":"related","note":"a ceremonial enclosure"},{"target":"stone circle","type":"related","note":"often found within but distinct"},{"target":"Neolithic","type":"related","note":"and early Bronze Age"},{"target":"scheduled monument","type":"related","note":"in Britain"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.henge","Wikidata: Q1035294 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1035294)","national monument number: per heritage register","World Heritage number: UNESCO for Stonehenge and Avebury"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["diameter: about 20-500 m - from small henges to superhenges","date: about 3000-2000 BCE - main period"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Bank outside, ditch inside","Neolithic and early Bronze Age date","Stone circles without bank and ditch, and defensive enclosures with the ditch outside, are different monuments","A circular bank with a ditch inside it, one or more entrances, and sometimes a stone or timber circle within."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the definition and features","distinguish henges from stone circles and hillforts","relay dating and distribution","present interpretations with attribution"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Calling any stone circle a henge","Damage from ploughing and visitors","Speculative interpretations presented as fact"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Scheduled monument protection in the UK and national monument law in Ireland","World Heritage Convention for inscribed sites","Archaeological recording standards"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Not known for certain; ceremonial and gathering functions are proposed.","classic henges with one or two entrances","mini-henges or hengiform monuments","superhenges such as Avebury and Durrington Walls","henges with stone circles","henges with timber circles"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1035294: henge","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1035294","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Henge","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henge","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should stone circle be a separate entry?","How should heritage registers be linked?","The registry entry has merged the alias standing stones, which is a different monument type; should it be split off?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1035294/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1035294/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T21:03:38Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T17:41:11+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}