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      8 Characterization criteria

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The four criteria for assessing class importance apply to henges as
follows:

Period (currency): Long-lived. The tradition of building and using henge
monuments seems to have spanned much of the later third and early second
millennia RCYBC, a period of between five and eight centuries.

Rarity: Rare. Between 60 and 70 fairly certain henges are currently
known in England, with perhaps as many sites again which must be
regarded as possible examples.

Diversity (form): High. Five main types of henge may be identified on
the basis of the form of the enclosure and the number of entranceways.
There are also many variations within the class, including the
presence/absence of a wide range of internal components.

Period (representativity): High. Henges are just one of relatively few
monuments known from the later Neolithic period. Henges are often
regarded as one of the principal features of the period.

Assigning scores to these criteria following the system set out in the
Monument Evaluation Manual, henges yield a Class Importance Value of 43.
This lies over two- thirds of the way up the range of possible values
(max.= 64) reflecting the longevity and general rarity of the class.
Examples representing the full range of types, and variations in size
and orientation, must be included in the sample of nationally important
sites.