More Mysteries Discovered at Stonehenge


Almost a year has passed since the discovery of the grave of the Amesbury Archer in Amesbury, Wiltshire, near Stonehenge. And now another fascinating discovery has been made. The remains of six people, four adults and two children, which date back almost 4,500 years have been found. The six people were found sharing a single grave just 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) from that of the archer.

The archer, who has been dubbed by the media as the King of Stonehenge, was found just three miles from the mysterious ring of ancient monoliths known as Stonehenge . His grave contained almost 100 objects including gold hair tresses that are the earliest gold to have been found in Britain . Archaeologists believe the archer to have been born in the Alps region and to possibly have been involved in the construction of the monolithic structure. It is further believed by archaeologists that he may have been a king since his grave is the richest Bronze Age burial ever found in Britain.

The six people that have been recently discovered lived around the same period as the archer, approximately 2,300 BC Archaeologists say it is quite unusual to find such a large number of people buried together like this in the same grave in southern England for this period. Four pots in the Beaker style, characteristic of the Bronze Age, were found in the grave together with one flint arrowhead, some flint tools and a bone toggle for fastening clothing. Radiocarbon tests will be done to precisely date the time of their burial.

“The grave is fascinating because we are seeing the moment when Britain was moving from the Stone Age into the Bronze Age, around 2,300 BC The large number of bodies placed in this grave is something more commonly found in the Stone Age, but the Beaker style pottery is found in Bronze Age burials,” said Andrew Fitzpatrick of Wessex Archaeology.

The grave was discovered by accident during the digging of a pipe trench. While the grave appears to date from the same period as the last phase of Stonehenge ’s construction, the exact relationship between its occupants and the builders of Stonehenge is unknown.

The Construction of Stonehenge


(An aerial view shows the succession of structures.)

Although thought by many to consist of only the well known colossal stone structures known as the Sarsen Circle and the Trilithon Horseshoe, Stonehenge , in fact, consists of a succession of earth and wood structures in addition to the stone structures mentioned above. Another little known fact is that the megalithic ruin was modified and remodeled over a period of more than 1400 years.

Stonehenge is found in Salisbury Plain, two miles west of Amesbury, Wiltshire, in southern England . Richard Atkinson suggested in the 1940s and 1950s that the construction of Stonehenge took place in three phases.

The initial phase took place between 2950 and 2900 BCE It consists of a circular bank, ditch, and an earth bank with a diameter of 100 meters (328 feet). Along the inner bank lie 56 holes known as Aubrey Holes, named after their discoverer John Aubrey, which each held a wooden post.

The second phase took place during the following 500 years between 2900 and 2400 BCE, during which post holes for timber settings were created in the center and also at the north-eastern entrance. During this period the Aubrey Holes were partially filled and no longer carried posts.

The third phase, which involved the most complicated series of events, took place between 2500 and 1600 BCE. This phase is subdivided in several sub-phases. During the first sub-phase a series of bluestones were set in what are known as the Q and R Holes. These were subsequently dismantled and the Sarsen circle and the horseshoe-shaped arrangement of Trilithons were erected.

The Sarsen Circle was originally composed of 30 sandstone blocks, each with an average height of 4 (13 feet) meters and a width of 2 (6.6 feet) meters. Sarsen lintels were arranged on top of these blocks to form a continuous circle around the top. Tongue and groove joints were used between the lintels and they were kept in place on top of the standing sarsens using mortice and tenon joints. Only 17 of the original sarsen blocks are still standing. These stones are thought to have been transported to the site from the Marlborough Downs, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) to the north of Stonehenge .

Within the Sarsen Circle stands the Trilithon Horseshoe. This is composed of ten upright stones arranged into five pairs, each pair carrying a single horizontal lintel. They are arranged in the form of a horseshoe with its opening facing the main entrance of the monument which lies to the north-east. Three of the Trilithons remain standing while the other two have one stone standing with the second stone and lintel lying on the ground.

Inside the Trilithon Horseshoe, a bluestone oval was then added, from which the arc was later removed to form a bluestone horseshoe. A Bluestone Circle was also added outside the Horseshoe but inside the Sarsen Circle . The bluestones are thought to have been transported from the outcrops in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire in Wales . Just how they were transported to Stonehenge is a mystery.

Two circles of holes known as the Y and Z Holes were then dug for the erection of stones; however these holes were never filled. Four stones known as Station Stones are thought to have been erected during this period. They lie just inside the Bank more or less along the same line as the Aubrey Holes. These stones form a rectangle that stands in a precise relationship with the centre of the monument and with the Heel Stone. Only two of these stones still exist, and only one of them still stands while the other has fallen.

At the main entrance of the monument lies a sarsen stone known as the Slaughter Stone.An earthwork known as the Avenue, which extends north-east from the break in the bank-and-ditch, was also laid out during this period. A stone known as the Heel Stone was erected on this Avenue and it is thought that it may have been paired with another now missing stone.

Within the Trilithon Horseshoe and in front of the middle and largest pair of Trilithons lies a large block of sandstone, embedded in the ground. This stone is the only one of its kind at Stonehenge and is believed to be Cosheston Beds Sandstone from south Wales.

The Mysteries Behind its Construction

It is not known who was behind the construction of Stonehenge ; however some of the theories include that it was built by the Druids, Greeks, Phoenicians, and Atlanteans. The reason behind its construction is also a mystery. However during the eighteenth century a British antiquarian named William Stukeley noticed that the Trilithon Horseshoe and the Bluestone Horseshoe both opened up in the direction of the midsummer sunrise. It was also noticed that on midsummer’s morning, the sun rises directly over the Heel Stone and shines its first rays into the center of the horseshoe arrangement. It was this discovery that lead to the contemplation that Stonehenge was used as a temple for sun worship.

In more recent times, astronomer Gerald Hawkins suggested that the monument was also used as an astronomical calendar. He found that the 56 Aubrey Holes are arranged at precisely regular intervals around a circle that is 86.9 meters (285 feet) in diameter. Each one of the Aubrey Holes serves as a fixed reference point along the circle, and by moving a marker between the holes, different calculation and predictions can be made. For example, by moving a marker by two holes each day, the cycle of the moon, which takes 27.3 days, can be tracked as the circuit will be completed in 28 days. It is also argued that by using a much longer method of calculation using the Aubrey Holes, astronomers at Stonehenge could predict both lunar and solar eclipses.

Whatever the motive was behind the construction of this megalithic monument, it will continue to draw tourists from around the world, each with his own presumptions on why it was built and by whom. It is a mystery that will remain just that.