March 14, 2011 news: a new survey of Stonehenge’s stones might uncover hidden data. The henge is one of the UK’s greatest treasures. Its original purpose is shrouded in the mists of history. Some speculate it was a place of worship. Others postulate it was an astronomical observatory for marking significant events, a sacred burial site for high-ranking citizens from ancient civilizations, a place of healing that pilgrims visited or a tourist attraction. The recent discovery of a Mediterranean teenage boy's skeleton found near Stonehenge confirms the fact that people travelled great distances to visit the henge. What mysteries do the researchers from English Heritage hope to unravel with modern technology?
Guardian of Stonehenge: English Heritage
The official name for this non-departmental public body of the British Government is the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England. It was created under the terms of the National Heritage Act of 1983. The English Heritage’s prime responsibility is maintaining ancient monuments. It takes care of over four hundred noteworthy historical and archaeological sites. The organization’s other responsibilities are advising, conservation, registering and protecting the historic environment and keeping a public archive, the National Monuments Record.
Stonehenge: Technology Used to Unravel Henge’s Mysteries
English Heritage is using a combination of 3D laser scanning and digital imaging technology to survey every stone that is in Stonehenge to create the most accurate digital model of England’s prehistoric henge.
Paul Bryan, English Heritage's Head of Geospatial Imaging, leads the group performing the survey with the assistance of the Greenhatch Group, Atkins Mapping and Archaeo-Environment Ltd. The last survey of Stonehenge’s stones, using photogrammetry, was done in 1993. The 2cm resolution that was available then will be improved upon by the millimetric resolution of the current survey, which will acquire much more information about the henge and its surroundings. The primary equipment used is a Z+F Imager 5010 laser scanner that can quickly record millions of 3D points for one surface. All the information will be digitally processed during the next two months to create a variety of 3D models and datasets.
Stonehenge: English Heritage’s Mission
The survey is meant to provide exact base-line data to monitor the physical condition of the henge that’s subjected to daily weather. Digital data will be a valuable resource for people who produce reconstruction models, drawings and computer generated images of Stonehenge for people’s understanding and interpretation. Understanding the Neolithic dagger and Bronze Age carvings on the stone’s surfaces might also be enhanced and, possibly, new ones could be discovered.
Dave Batchelor, English Heritage's Stonehenge archaeologist, thinks the surfaces of henge’s stones have clues to the past. They’re like manuscripts of ideas, endeavors and idiosyncrasies about the lives of prehistoric people.
English Heritage’s Paul Bryan, an adviser to the British government regarding historic buildings and monuments, said that archaeologists have a variety of theories for Stonehenge’s creation, including use as a burial ground and an astronomical observatory. Other people postulated that the henge was a place for worship, tourist attraction or a site for healing.
One of Stonehenge’s mysteries is how the stones were transported to this site that’s believed to be five thousand years old. Some stones are over ten feet tall and weigh many tons. Engineer Garry Lavin postulated that giant woven wicker baskets were used to haul massive Welsh rocks to the henge. This is plausible, but there are questions. Can this account for over six hundred prehistoric men moving fifty-ton boulders for a distance of about twenty miles? Does this apply only to the Welsh stones? How many people would it take to weave a basket? How long would such a project take?
Stonehenge, Mystery Hill and Castlerigg Stone Circle
While Stonehenge is the most famous henge, there are others in the UK, northern Poland, the Basque country, western Africa and the United States. Castlerigg Stone Circle, also known as Keswick Carle and Druid’s Circle, in the Lake District near Keswick, is another prehistoric monolithic structure in Cumbra, UK. This henge is thought to have been constructed circa 3200 BCE, which makes it one of the oldest European megalithic structures.
The United States’ Mystery Hill, in New Hampshire, is also dubbed “America’s Stonehenge.” Both sites were observatories, have astronomical alignments and almost nothing is known about their builders. Unfortunately, many pre-Colombian structures in Mystery Hill were carried away, vandalized or destroyed.
Stonehenge: Technology Not the Final Chapter
It’s most likely that, after the collected data is analyzed, mystery will still surround the henge. Will we ever know who built it? What was its purpose? Was it a burial ground, an astronomical observatory. a place for worship, tourist attraction, site for healing, or a combination of these suggestions? Were the stones transported to the henge by a woven basket or other means?
Author Erich von Däniken theorizes that there were ancient alien astronauts who visited planet earth. He postulates that these beings met ancient Egyptians, Mayans and others. Imagine that this is true. Perhaps these aliens and/or their descendants might solve the total mysteries of Stonehenge and other henges.
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- Stonehenge -- UK's Mysterious Monoliths: Ancient English Henge Marks the Summer Solstice
- Stonehenge: Prehistoric Mediterranean Boy's Skeleton Unearthed
- Enigmatic Stonehenge: Mystery of Moving Massive Stones Solved?
- Castlerigg Stone Circle, Mysterious Megaliths: Lesser Known than Stonehenge, Castlerigg is One of the Oldest Structures in Europe
- America's Stonehenge, Mystery Hill, NH: Lack of Household and Grave Artifacts Imply Henge Was Used for Rites
Sources:
Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daniken, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1970)
“Laser Scan May Reveal Stonehenge Secrets,” Lee Speigel, AolNews, Mar 14, 2011, AOL News Accessed on March 15, 2011.
“Stonehenge in High Definition,” no author given, English Heritage, March 10, 2011, English Heritage Accessed on March 15, 2011.
Jill Stefko - I'd rather deal with the paranormal than human abnormal - having dealt extensively with both.
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