Page 24 - 201210 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October 2012

Understanding Stonehenge Understanding Stonehenge: Two Explanations Was the prehistoric monument built to unite a land or as a destination to heal the sick? Recent research supports both ideas. After centuries of puzzling over the meaning of Stonehenge, laser-equipped researchers have concluded that the prehistoric monument was built to show off the solstices. Apart from revealing 71 new images of Bronze Age axeheads, which bring the number of this type of carvings known at Stonehenge to 115, the English Heritage groundbreaking analysis showed that the stones were shaped and crafted differently in various parts of the stone circle. In particular, the stones first seen when approaching the monument from the north-east were completely "pick dressed." Stonehenge workers removed their brown and grey surface crust to show a bright, grey-white surface that crag-edged promontory with a stone bank bluestones, the sick and injured would have would glisten at sunset on the shortest day of the across its neck" at one of the highest points of come to the site from far away. year and in the dawn light on the longest day. Carn Menyn, a mountain in the Preseli Hills of "The new work indirectly supports the According to the researchers, this Pembrokeshire, in southwest Wales. healing hypothesis as it shows the importance of provides an almost definitive proof that it was The site, which measures less than half a the stones from Wales," Darvill said. the intent of Stonehenge's builders to align the hectare, is characterized by numerous prone "It also shows that most of them have monument with the two solstices along a north- pillar stones with clear signs of working. had bits chipped off them and some have been east/south-west axis. Darrvill described it as "a veritable Aladdin's reduced to stumps by removals exactly as we Located in the county of Wiltshire, at the Cave of made-to-measure pillars for aspiring suggested was the case," he added. center of England's densest complex of circle builders." But according to Mike Parker Pearson, Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, The bluestones weighed about four tons the enigmatic stone circle had nothing to do Stonehenge has been the subject of myth, and were between six and nine feet in height with sickness and diseases. On the contrary, it legend and -- more recently -- scientific and would have been transported 240 miles to was built as a grand act of union after a long research for more than eight centuries. the famous site at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. period of conflict between east and west Britain. The mysterious circle of large standing According to Darvill, the color and the "Stonehenge itself was a massive stones has been interpreted in the most disparate presence of distinctive white spots made the undertaking, requiring the labor of thousands to ways -- as a temple for sun worship, a temple of Preseli Hills stones very pleasing aesthetically. move stones from as far away as west Wales, the ancient druids, a healing center, a burial site "Importantly, the methods of working shaping them and erecting them. Just the work and a huge calendar. the bluestones seems to be the same as for the itself, requiring everyone literally to pull The new laser findings appear to be central Trilithons and serves to support the idea together, would have been an act of compatible with two main theories taking shape I put forward some time ago that these two unification," Parker Pearson said. in recent years to explain the monument's components of the monument were Because of Stonehenge's solstice- purpose. contemporary and somehow linked," Darvill aligned avenue, prehistoric people would have According to archaeologist Mike Parker said. seen the spot as nothing less than the "center of Pearson, head of the Stonehenge Riverside According to the archaeologist, the huge the world." Project, the iconic monument was built as a stones were taken on such a journey from their According to Parker Pearson, the grand act of union after a long period of conflict Welsh location because they were believed to discovery of the winter sunset axis at between east and west Britain. harbor great powers. Stonehenge by the laser scan project supports Another theory, posed by archaeologists In 2008, Darvill and Wainwright his previous findings. Geoff Wainwright and Timothy Darvill, says excavated a small patch of earth at Stonehenge. "Our study of seasonal culling of Stonehenge was a destination to which the sick The dig unearthed about 100 pieces of organic animals eaten at feasts at Durrington Walls, traveled from around Europe to be healed by its material from the original bluestone sockets and from the time when the sarsens were put up magical powers. provided the most accurate dating for their around 2500 B.C., shows that they were killed "The scanning work at Stonehenge is erection, pinpointing the bluestone construction at two times of the year, most in the midwinter really important and has opened our eyes to to 2300 B.C. It also produced a large number of period and the rest in the summer," Parker many new aspects of Neolithic technology," bluestone chippings, as if people flaked them Pearson said. Darvill, professor of archaeology in the School off to create little amulet bits. The midwinter solstice was the most of Applied Sciences at Bournemouth The presence of a large number of important time for these ceremonial gatherings, University, England, told Discovery News. human remains in tombs near Stonehenge presumably the beginning and end of their year. Darvill and Wainwright made one of the showing physical injury and disease and "We have isotope evidence for people most significant findings in 2005, when they analysis of teeth reveal that around half of the bringing their animals from all over Britain, located the quarry where the bluestones, which corpses were not native to the Stonehenge area tying in with the theme of unification. You form Stonehenge's inner circle, were cut around and suggested Stonehenge served as a center for could call it the Neolithic version of Christmas 2500 B.C. healing, said the archaeologists. and New Year," Parker Pearson said. [] The archaeologists discovered a "small Attracted by the powers of the