When the construction of Stonehenge was completed, before construction, before the construction of the Great Egyptian pyramids, there were still about 5000 years left. For five thousand years of Stonehenge's existence, its secret has not been revealed.
But she still worries people. Now archaeologists have come close to developing a scientific concept regarding the origin and purpose of this ancient structure, which has a seemingly supernatural power that attracts travelers from all over the Earth.
Wooden henge
To put an end to the story of Stonehenge, scientists used the most modern methods - from penetrating radar beam to GPS (global positioning system). The capabilities of these technologies were demonstrated in July 2010, when an international team of archaeologists announced the amazing discovery to the whole world. After nine days of work, researchers found signs of a previously unknown structure with a diameter of about 25 meters near Stonehenge. The scanners recorded the presence of several three-meter holes underground, surrounding a ring of 20-meter holes. This "something" began to be called a wooden henge. Henge is a type of prehistoric architectural earthen structure. It is an almost circular area with a diameter of at least 20 meters, surrounded by an earthen rampart.
Modern Druids still celebrate the solstice here
Apparently, the wooden henge was erected between 2500-2200 BC. That is, at about the same time as Stonehenge. The research team included scientists from the University of Birmingham (UK) and representatives of the Ludwig Boeltzmann Institute for Archaeological Exploration and Virtual Archeology (Austria). Experts from Germany, Norway and Sweden also participated in the study of the find.
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The main task of the project
If you visit the Salisbury Plain, on which Stonehenge stands, you will see only this grandiose structure, because the amazing circles of holes in question are covered with a layer of earth several meters deep. However, thanks to the latest technology, radar images of what is underground have been built. The device, with the help of which such things were carried out earlier, works like a normal radar - it emits pulses of radio waves and registers the reflected signals. Analysis of this reveals a detailed picture of the underground “kingdom”. But in the case of Stonehenge, the technology was improved by increasing the number of emitters, specifying the location using the GPS system and processing the results on an ultra-fast computer.
According to Professor Wolfang Neubauer, director of the Institute for Archaeological Exploration and Virtual Archeology Ludwig Boltzmann, as a result of research, scientists have obtained an accurate 3D image of what is buried under the earth. It used to take an entire day to process data received within an hour. And modern software makes it possible to process the data of a whole day in one hour.
Such an increase in the speed of decryption is an important condition for the fulfillment of the main task of the project of a scrupulous study of the underground structure, as well as the area surrounding Stonehenge.
“There are many burial mounds around the ancient monument. They are literally scattered across the Salisbury Plain,”says Vince Jeffney, a professor at the University of Birmingham. Recent studies suggest that these mounds are special
were created around Stonehenge so that the then visitors
complex could see them.
We do not know anything about the artifacts lurking underground. This is understandable. We are unable to dig up 14 square kilometers of territory. In addition, excavations in the vicinity of the ancient monument are prohibited. This is where the radar method came in handy.”
Magnetometry is very effective
Scientists use another method of archaeological research - magnetometry. The Earth's magnetic field surrounds the entire planet, but its intensity can change under the influence of human activity. For example, a weak magnetic field will become stronger after heating the ground from a fire. Certain types of bacteria that live in organic-rich sediments also distort the magnetic field, as do metal objects and some types of ceramics.
“The magnetometric method has proven to be very effective in the Stonehenge study. With its help, the underground trenches are very clearly visible, says Professor Neubauer. "Magnetometry increases the research speed up to 50 kilometers per hour." Scientists are confident that they are on the verge of a new era of archaeological discoveries using modern technology.
Bones are five thousand years old
The finds of archaeologists are about to finally answer the question of why Stonehenge was built. Scientists believe the key to this clue lies in the so-called Aubrey Holes, 56 equally spaced underground holes filled with crushed chalk. They were discovered in the 17th century by the English explorer John Aubrey. Looking underground with the help of radar, archaeologists concluded that these pits used to contain heavy wooden pillars, which eventually rotted. These pillars may have served to support the huge boulders of the complex brought from Wales. Excavation of the Aubrey holes also revealed that there are fragments of charred human bones. With the help of carbon analysis, the age of the bones was established at five thousand years, which coincides with the estimated date of construction of Stonehenge.
Cemetery or hospital?
Perhaps Stonehenge is … an ancient cemetery. This hypothesis is based on the fact that about a dozen more similar complexes were discovered in Britain, built around the same time. Scientists even suggest that Stonehenge is the burial place of the ruling dynasty, for example, Wales, from where the stone monoliths were delivered. The compliance of such an assumption with the truth is now being tested using biochemical analysis of bones found at Stonehenge.
Stonehenge: Cemetery or Ancient Hospital?
There is another interesting theory. According to her, this mysterious complex was not a cemetery, but quite the opposite - a healing center. The human remains found there show signs of trauma. It is possible that Stonehenge was engaged in the healing of fractures. In ancient legends, by the way, the healing power of green mica sandstone is described. But in the center of Stonehenge there is a six-ton monolith made of this stone - the so-called Altar. Especially many such legends were born in Wiltshire and Pembrokeshire, where mica sandstone occurs in considerable quantities. This hypothesis also explains the fact that part of the stones disappeared from Stonehenge - they could simply be taken away by visitors wishing to be healed.
So which theory is correct: is Stonehenge a cemetery or a hospital? So far, both versions have a right to exist. It will be possible to finally stop at one of them only after all the research is over. The secret of Stonehenge still remains unsolved.
Source: "Secrets of the XX century"