Submitted by Waspie Dwarf: Archaeologists carrying out an excavation at Stonehenge say they have broken through to a layer that may finally explain why the site was built. The team has reached sockets that once held bluestones - smaller stones, most now missing or uprooted, which formed the site"s original structure. The researchers believe that the bluestones could reveal that Stonehenge was once a place of healing. The dig is the first to take place at Stonehenge for more than 40 years. The team now needs to extract organic material from these holes to date when the stones first arrived. Professor TimDarvill, of Bournemouth University, who is leading the work with Professor Geoff Wainwright, president of the Society of Antiquaries, said: "The first week has gone really well.
We have broken through to these key features. "It is a slow process but at the moment everything is going exactly to plan." The two-week excavation is being funded by the BBC and filmed for a special Timewatch programme to be broadcast in the autumn. Professors Darvill and Wainwright say that finding out more about the history of the bluestones could be key to solving the mystery of why the 4,500-year-old landmark was erected. They believe that the bluestones, which were transported 250km (150 miles) from the Preseli Hills in Wales to the SalisburyPlain in Wiltshire, were brought to the site because the ancient people believed they had healing properties. Professor Geoffrey Wainwright said the site could have been a "Neolithic Lourdes". The giant sarsen "goal posts", which came from about 20km (12 miles) away, were thought to have arrived much later. As well as reaching the bluestone sockets, the archaeologists have also unearthed a whole host of other finds as they have peeled back the layers of the 2.5m-by-3.5m (8.2ft-by-11.5ft) trench.
By Steven A. Culbreath
More than nine hundred stone
rings exist in the British Isles, and scholars estimate that twice that number
may originally have been built. These megalithic structures should be referred
to as rings rather than circles since only 2 percent of the structures are in
the shape of true circles; the other 98 percent are constructed in a variety of
elliptical shapes. Stonehenge, however, is roughly circular. It is nearly
impossible to precisely date the stone ri...Stonehenges all around us
Archeologists recently discovered what appears to be the other half of Stonehenge, illuminating what they believe is a much larger Neolithic complex than has long been envisioned. What is coming to the surface seems strangely familiar. Looking closely at Stonehenge and other Neolithic sites, we find the formative patterns of our modern world.Step out of your house and you might notice your street is fixed on a cardinal grid: north, south, east, west. This pattern defines many American and Europe...Vandals damage Stonehenge
Vandals used a hammer and screwdriver to vandalise the Stonehenge ancient monument, the first such incident for decades, officials said Thursday. The night-time attack by two men last week involved the central megalith in the 5,000-year-old ring of standing stones, with English Heritage saying the vandals could have been looking for a souvenir. A chip of stone about the size of a large coin was removed, while a 2.5-inch long scratch was left on the Heel Stone, at the centre of the UNESCO World H...Pagans mark end of Stonehenge dig
Pagans from dorset performed a closing ritual to mark the end of a major archaeological dig at Stonehenge. Members of the Weymouth-based Dolmen Grove order held the ceremony as 10 days of digging finished at the historic site. Tony Jameson, a member of the Grove, said: "It was very good. "The whole archaeological team took part and it was really nice." The grove was asked to the site to represent pagans and druids for an opening ritual at the end of March to bless the dig and placate the spirits...'Cursus' is older than Stonehenge
Submitted by Da Verminator: A team led by University of Manchester archaeologist Professor Julian Thomas has dated the Greater Stonehenge Cursus at about 3,500 years BC - 500 years older than the circle itself. They were able to pinpoint its age after discovering an antler pick used to dig the Cursus - the most significant find since it was discovered in 1723 by antiquarian William Stukeley. When the pick was carbon dated the results pointed to an age which was much older than previously thought...Uncovering stone circle's secrets
A major archaeological investigation is getting under way at one of Western Europe"s most impressive prehistoric sites. The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles, but little is known about it. A month-long programme of investigations will be undertaken by a 15-strong team. The last important archaeological studies took place there in the 1970s. Significant developments have taken place since then in analytical techniques including dating. Historic Scotl...How to explain Stonehenge
Anthony North: They gather by the hundreds to see the Summer Solstice dawn at Stonehenge. Yet, some researchers feel they shouldn"t. They should actually be waiting for the Winter Solstice moon. That is what is important. Or is it purely an observatory? No, it"s about ancestor worship. No, it"s a calendar. No, it"s all about healing. No, it purely for burial. No, it"s purely about trade. No, it"s a UFO beacon. No, it"s a transmitter to the stars …. Will you all please shut up!: Thank you. That..."Bluehenge" discovered
Archaeologists have discovered a second stone circle only a mile from Stonehenge, the prehistoric circle named "Bluehenge" would have consisted of 27 large blue stones which are nowmissing from the site."Archaeologists have discoveredStonehenge"s little sister - just a mile from the famous monument. . The prehistoric circle, unearthed in secret over the summer, is one of the most important prehistoric finds in decades." View: F...Scientists chip away at mystery of Stonehenge
The mysterious circle of stones that rises on Salisbury Plain near here has stood as a marvel for thousands of years, its origins and purpose shrouded in the mists of history. But a just-completed excavation of Stonehenge, the first within the ancient circle in more than 40 years, could provide some of the first reliable explanations for one of the greatest wonders of the prehistoric world. A team of British archeologists hopes to prove its theory that nearly 4,000 years ago Stonehenge was regar...The Stonehenge Eclipse Calculator!
Bill Kramer
Some years ago I learned that someone had
put forth the notion that Stonehenge, the famous archeological site in
England, could have been
used to predict eclipse events. As an eclipse chaser, I was
naturally intrigued by this concept and wanted to learn more.
During a visit to Stonehenge in 2001 the tour guide said that
Stonehenge might have been used as an
astronomical calculator. He mentioned that it was said to
predict eclipses howev...
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Submitted by Waspie Dwarf: Archaeologists carrying out an excavation at Stonehenge say they have broken through to a layer that may finally explain why the site was built. The team has reached sockets that once held bluestones - smaller stones, most now missing or uprooted, which formed the site"s original structure. The researchers believe that the bluestones could reveal that Stonehenge was once a place of healing. The dig is the first to take place at Stonehenge for more than 40 years. The team now needs to extract organic material from these holes to date when the stones first arrived. Professor TimDarvill, of Bournemouth University, who is leading the work with Professor Geoff Wainwright, president of the Society of Antiquaries, said: "The first week has gone really well. 
View: Full Article | Source: BBC News 
Mystery of the Stonehenge
Vandals damage Stonehenge
Uncovering stone circle's secrets
"Bluehenge" discovered
