Stonehenge exhibition aims to shed light on mysteries of monument

The Nebra Sky Disc, made using gold from Cornwall and bronze from central Europe, is among the highlights

A "once in a lifetime" exhibition which aims to uncover the secrets and explore the stories of Stonehenge has opened.

The World of Stonehenge has been 10 years in the planning and is on show at the British Museum in London until 17 July.

It pulls together items and artefacts from across the UK and Europe that have never been on show together.

Curator Dr Neil Wilkin said it aimed to put the globally famous and iconic monument into context.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a range of objects brought from regional museums in Britain but also across Europe.

"The objects gathered here have never been shown together and may not be shown together again," he said.

Many artefacts in the exhibition are on display for the first time

The World of Stonehenge aims to shed more light on who built the monument, who visited it and what its true purpose was.

Dr Wilkin said it had taken a decade of discussion with other museums to bring the exhibition together.

"It's pulling together objects from across Britain and Europe in order to understand how they fit in at the time and explore the people who built the monument and worshipped at the site.

"What's special about Stonehenge is the way it tells how connected society was at that very early time in our history.

"It's a manifestation of human connectivity of the way people related to each other.

"There was no one Stonehenge.

"There were several different monuments built at different times and that meant different things to different people - so were really able to tease apart, thanks to new discoveries, a much more fine grain story of Stonehenge," he added.

Seahenge was constructed from oak in 2049 BC and rediscovered on a Norfolk beach in 1998

Highlights of the exhibition include the oldest surviving map of the stars, called the Nebra Sky Disc, and a 4,000 year old wooden structure called Seahenge.

Curator Dr Jennifer Wexler said it was a great chance for people to look at items that had never been on display before.

"We want to use Stonehenge as a gateway to a broader world.

"People know the monument but they don't know all the other objects and sites and we bring them together.

"We have people at the core of the story.

"We don't have written histories so we have to rely on archaeology but we can tell those stories in new and exciting ways now."

The Archdruid of Stonehenge blessed the exhibition when it opened

The Archdruid of Stonehenge, Rollo Maughfling, performed a prayer ceremony to mark the opening of the new exhibition.

He is the most senior druid in the UK and has been leading annual solstices and equinox ceremonies at Stonehenge for 30 years.

"This exhibition is marvellous.

"It is the first time for many years, even in our lifetimes that we have seen such a fantastic collection of Stonehenge life and times and culture put together," he said.

Meanwhile, the Stonehenge Alliance held a small demonstration outside the museum to protest the plans for a road tunnel near the ancient monument.