Stonehenge is a monument from the prehistoric era found on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It lies approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) west of Amesbury. The structure itself is made of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones (Sarsen is a sandstone rock found in Salisbury).
They are all around 4 meters high and 2 wide (13 feet by 7 feet), weighing approximately 25 tons (22.6 tonnes). Some are topped by horizontal stones. Interestingly, there is an inner ring of bluestones, which can be found across the British Isles.
The whole monument is aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice and is set within one of the densest earthworks from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. It holds many secrets from archaeologists but one more twist has added a new layer to the mystery.
They have found bodies underneath the monument which has changed the interpretation of it. Here is how they found this amazing discovery.
Origins of the Monument
It is a long-held belief of archaeologists and historians that Stonehenge was built in the period between 3000 BC to 2000 BC. There is a surrounding earth bank and ditch built around the circular monument which seems to belong to the earliest phase of the monument. It has been dated to approximately 3100 BC.
Radiocarbon dating of the bluestones suggests that they were placed there around 2400 BC, but they may have been there as early as 3000 BC at the beginning of the monument’s construction phase. The truth is, we don’t know.
The name is said to have come from Aelfric’s 10th-century glossary of English words in which henge-cliff is given meaning to the word precipice or stone. It may be that the Stanenges or Stanheng not far from Salisbury recorded in the 11th century are Stonehenge.
Henges are characterized by archaeologists as earthworks that are constructed of a banked circular enclosure with an internal ditch first termed as such in the 18th century.
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However, it is important to know that despite being built at around the same time as other Neolithic henges and stone circles within the British Isles, Stonehenge is slightly more unique. It is very big, more than 7.3 meters (30 feet) tall and is held in place with a mortise and tenon joint which connects at right angles. It is not seen anywhere else in the same period.
Stonehenge Phases
But recently Stonehenge has become associated with more than just the standing stones, as burials have been uncovered there. Many leading archaeologists believe that Stonehenge was a burial place from its beginning until the mid-3rd century millennium BC.
This is supported by cremation burial data found on the sarsen stones. However, it is suspected that this is just one of many pieces of information from a later period that demonstrates its use as a place of the dead.
Stonehenge evolved over thousands of years and there is evidence of large-scale construction on the monument and in the local area. Unfortunately, dating the activity is difficult due to the chalk natural rock and the glacial effects of the period. As well as this, there is evidence of huge amounts of animal burrowing and the early excavation records are poorly maintained or recorded.
Archaeologists have discovered at least four large Mesolithic postholes that predate the henge itself, dating to around 8000 BC. They were located underneath a nearby old tourist car park that fell out of use in 2013.
These postholes were a lucky find and could easily have been missed altogether. They were found to have held pine posts around 0.75 meters (2.4 feet) in diameter which rotted over time, leaving only the holes behind.
Three of the posts were placed in an east-west alignment which may have had a ritual significance as they are replicated in other sites around the British Isles and Europe. It suggests that people lived here for a significant amount of time and the size of the structure suggests that it was a thriving community.
The first monument at Stonehenge is known about is expected to have been built around 3100 BC. It was a circular bank and ditch enclosure made of chalk measuring around 110 meters (360 feet) in diameter.
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There was an entranceway to the Northeast and there was a small entrance to the south. In the surrounding ditch, there were bones of deer and oxen and old flint tools.
As well as this, there were around 50,000 fragments of human bone were found buried at Stonehenge. However the bones had been exhumed in the 1930s and reburied in one hole removing them from their original context and removing archaeological data.
The second phase of monumental construction began around 2900 to 2600 BC. There are several postholes that date to the early 3rd millennium BC which suggests that there was a large timber structure here within the enclosure at this period.
Burial pits were also discovered that showed cremation burials that date to this period. This was not perhaps the initial function but there is enough evidence of this activity that there is a suggestion that these pits were soon used regularly for this.
Construction continued on Stonehenge over the years with the last phase of construction ending around 1600 BC. After the monument was in use, it was likely taken over by Iron Age settlers and Romans. There have been enough medieval artifacts found to suggest that this site was in use continuously.
Why Bury So Many Here?
Stonehenge was produced in a period of the history of which there was no written record. Thus, finding out its purpose is very difficult. Some myths about the monument have still not been solved. The stones are aligned with the sunset of the winter solstice and the sunrise of the summer solstice, and it holds further astronomical association.
What has become more evident over the years is that the construction of the monument was well within the capabilities of the Neolithic people and that supernatural or extra-terrestrial theories of construction are wild. A more recent study from the University of Bournemouth has suggested that the monument was a place of healing which would explain the significant number of burials.
As to why the bodies were buried here, all we can say is that this was clearly a location of high importance for the ancient Britons. It may be impossible to tell the true nature of this site, but archaeologists will keep trying.
Top Image: The number of elite burials around Stonehenge suggest it may be the largest and richest cemetery in the British Isles. Source: Met / Adobe Stock.
By Kurt Readman
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