Topic ID #15060 - posted 11/28/2011 3:44 AM
Jennifer Palmer
Webmaster
Stonehenge finds hint at rituals far more ancient than the stones
Jennifer Palmer
Webmaster
Stonehenge finds hint at rituals far more ancient than the stones
Engima of the 'Heel Stone' partially unravelled
By Lewis Page Posted in Bootnotes, 28th November 2011 10:51 GMT
Scientists using the latest in modern boffinry to peel back the layers of time report that they have made important new discoveries at Stonehenge, hinting that the site was already a very ancient centre of ritual when the stones were erected more than 5,000 years ago.
In particular, archaeologists are excited by the discovery of two pits on the ancient "Cursus" pathway near Stonehenge. When viewed from the mysterious "Heel Stone" – which stands alone just outside the entrance to the henge proper – these pits are aligned with the positions of sunrise and sunset at the midsummer solstice, arguing that they played a role in celestially-based rituals. It's though that the pits may have held large standing stones, wooden poles or totems, or perhaps been used for ceremonial fires.
This is the first time we have seen anything quite like this at Stonehenge," enthuses archaeology professor Vince Gaffney.
"It provides a more sophisticated insight into how rituals may have taken place within the Cursus and the wider landscape. These exciting finds indicate that even though Stonehenge was ultimately the most important monument in the landscape, it may at times not have been the only, or most important, ritual focus and the area of Stonehenge may have become significant as a sacred site at a much earlier date.
Read more here.
Engima of the 'Heel Stone' partially unravelled
By Lewis Page Posted in Bootnotes, 28th November 2011 10:51 GMT
Scientists using the latest in modern boffinry to peel back the layers of time report that they have made important new discoveries at Stonehenge, hinting that the site was already a very ancient centre of ritual when the stones were erected more than 5,000 years ago.
In particular, archaeologists are excited by the discovery of two pits on the ancient "Cursus" pathway near Stonehenge. When viewed from the mysterious "Heel Stone" – which stands alone just outside the entrance to the henge proper – these pits are aligned with the positions of sunrise and sunset at the midsummer solstice, arguing that they played a role in celestially-based rituals. It's though that the pits may have held large standing stones, wooden poles or totems, or perhaps been used for ceremonial fires.
This is the first time we have seen anything quite like this at Stonehenge," enthuses archaeology professor Vince Gaffney.
"It provides a more sophisticated insight into how rituals may have taken place within the Cursus and the wider landscape. These exciting finds indicate that even though Stonehenge was ultimately the most important monument in the landscape, it may at times not have been the only, or most important, ritual focus and the area of Stonehenge may have become significant as a sacred site at a much earlier date.
Read more here.
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