Ways of seeing the past

Bringing heritage stories to life through research, visualisation & creative practice...

Bringing heritage stories to life through research, visualisation & creative practice...

Welcome!

Monumental is a research-driven creative practice led by archaeologist, illustrator and filmmaker Dr Aaron Watson.

Close-up of a colorful, abstract mural or artwork.

Research

For over thirty years, Aaron has explored the chambered cairns, stone circles and enigmatic rock art sites created by Neolithic and Bronze Age communities over four thousand years ago. How were these sites used? And why does this enduring legacy continue to resonate so vividly and meaningfully today?

At its root, a monument is something created to help communities remember, to keep knowledge alive. In this spirit, Aaron’s investigations seek to reveal the ideas embedded within these ancient places through the sensory experiences they create. He is probably best known for exploring their acoustic, optical, and spatial qualities. Yet this research is not just about looking back: encounters with these remnants of the distant past allow them to speak anew, inviting us to see the world, and ourselves, with fresh eyes.

Creative practice

In addition to his research, Aaron founded Monumental in 2002 to offer innovative approaches to visualisation, reconstruction, film, animation and photography for academia and the heritage industry. Projects have included site-specific installations, digital reconstructions, video storytelling, community archaeology, TV contributions, and publications, plus curatorial consultancy and interpretation masterplanning.

Castlerigg Stone Circle, one of the most atmospheric and dramatically located sites of all British stone circles

Monumental philosophy

Understanding history isn’t just about the past— it’s about rediscovering other ways of perceiving the world. Our work blends scholarship and creativity to uncover patterns, insights, and possibilities that inform design, interpretation, and storytelling today.

Ancient marks on stone, alignments across a landscape, the orientation of a cairn— these are not static remnants. They are decisions, intentions, and expressions. By studying how past people shaped their surroundings and encoded meaning in architecture and place, we can develop richer, more resonant ways of communicating with modern audiences.

This philosophy guides everything we do, whether examining a carved rock on a remote hillside or creating a digital visualisations of a Roman burial.

It is an inclusive journey, and along the way, Aaron has collaborated with researchers, artists, museums, universities, and heritage organisations. Through fieldwork, photography, visualisation and filmmaking he has brough ideas and experiences about the past vividly to life.

Oh! One more thing…

Monumental also has a gallery shop featuring prints, gifts, and visual works informed by the practice’s research-led approach and personal interests. Each piece reflects the themes of place, perception, and time, and directly supports the continuation of our ongoing archaeological and creative investigations.

Gallery shop

Updates…