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 - between 3600 and 3300 BC - and has caused a sensation among archeologists. The dig took place last summer in a collaborative project run by fiveBritish universities and funded by the Arts and Histories Research Council and the National Geographic Society.

Professor Thomas said: "The Stonehenge Cursus is a 100 metre wide mile long area which runs about 500 metres north of Stonehenge. "We don"t know what it was used for - but we do know it encloses a pathway which has been made inaccessible. "And that suggests it was either a sanctified area or for some reason was cursed." Professor Thomas believes that the Cursus was part of complex of monuments, within which Stonehenge was later constructed. Other elements include the ‘Lesser Stonehenge Cursus" and a series of long barrows - all built within a mile of Henge. He added: "Our colleagues led by a team from Sheffield University have also dated some ofthe cremated human remains from Stonehenge itself. "That"s caused another sensational discovery and proves that burial cremation had been taking place at Stonehenge as early as 2900 BC - soon after the monument was first built. "But what is still so intriguing about the Cursus is that it"s about 500 years older than Henge - that strongly suggests there was a link and was very possibly a precursor. "We hope more discoveries lie in store when we work on the Eastern end of the Cursus this summer.

View: Full Article | Source: Science Daily

British researchers believe that Stonehenge was originally built as a monument to peace and unity.The famous stone circle is thought to have have been built between 2500 BC and 3000 BC at a time when the neolithic people were becoming increasingly unified. The very fact that Stonehenge was built at all, a project that would have required a great degree of mutualco-operation, is testament to this."Stonehenge itself was a massive undertaking, requiring the labor of thousands to move stones from as far away as west Wales, shaping them and erecting them," said Mike Parker Pearson.

"Just the work itself, requiring everything literally to pull together, would have been an act of unification." The mysterious structure of Stonehenge may have been built as a symbol of peace andunity, according to a new theory by British researchers.  

View: Full article |  Source: CBS News  

Crowds gathering at Stonehenge for this year"s summer solstice were met with grey skies and rain.Pagans, druids and other attendees were unable to see the sunrise directly this year due to the amount of cloud cover, however despite this and the terrible weather conditions the mood was generally positive. The ancient monument has been the site of solstice rituals for yearswith a giant 22ft steel statue called "Ancestor" being set up for the occasion."It was wet, misty and muddy but there was an atmosphere that something really special was about to happen," said BBC reporter Will Walder.

"Tambourines and drums were being played but then at 4:52 am people were looking from left to right to try to see the sun and had to resort to watches and mobile phones to mark the moment." Thousands ofpeople have gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice despite overcast skies.  

View: Full article |  Source: BBC News  

A research team has found new evidence that Sweden"s Ales Stenar is far older than previously thought.The megalithic structure comprised of 59 huge boulders is located near the fishing village of Kåseberga and is thought to have been built about 1,000 years ago near the end of the Iron Age. But now researchers believe the site could have been built a lot earlier, up to 2,500 yearsago, making it Sweden"s own answer to Stonehenge.

"We can now say Stonehenge has a younger sister, but she"s so much more beautiful," said retired geologist Nils-Axel Mörner who co-authored the research. Ancient Scandinavians dragged 59 boulders to a seaside cliff near what is now the Swedish fishing village of Kåseberga. They carefully arranged the massive stones — each weighing up to 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) — in theoutline of a 220-foot-long (67-meter) ship overlooking the Baltic Sea.  

View: Full article |  Source: Live Science