Recently, a museum complex was opened in the famous Stonehenge - one of the most famous archaeological sites on the planet. Until now, there is no single and final theory regarding the age and purpose of this building. The new museum complex, whose opening was partially funded by private donations, consists of a museum with an exhibition showing the way of life of the ancient inhabitants of the vicinity of Stonehenge, its virtual circular panorama and a gift shop. In connection with this news, we decided to recall the riddles of Stonehenge.
PURPOSE OF STONEHENGE
Researchers are still puzzling over why the ancient people needed Stonehenge. The building is shrouded in incredible legends: supposedly under King Arthur, the monument was built or transferred by witchcraft from Ireland by the magician Merlin or Stonehenge - the creation of the devil. In the middle of the 17th century, theories began to appear about the Roman and Celtic origins of the monument. The version of Stonehenge as a sanctuary of the Druids, priests of the Celtic tribes who moved to Britain in the last centuries BC, is still quite widespread, although it was refuted in the twentieth century using the latest archaeological methods. It looks plausible: the holes in the ground could serve to bring gifts to the gods, and the sacrificial stone, on which red stripes appear after the rain, could serve for sacrifices. However, mystical red stripes are nothing butas traces of iron present in the rock. In addition, it is well established that Stonehenge was erected 1000 years before the arrival of the Celts in Britain. There is also an astronomical theory: Stonehenge served as an ancient observatory. Experts say that Stonehenge can predict solar eclipses or even carry out complex mathematical calculations. There is an original version, according to which Stonehenge was the place of coronation of Danish rulers, and its layout corresponded to the shape of the crown. The monument was allegedly erected in the 9th century AD, when the Scandinavians conquered most of England. However, comparison with the Scandinavian buildings deprives this theory of credibility: they are significantly inferior in size to Stonehenge. It is also often claimed that Stonehenge was used for burials. In the area of the monument, human remains were indeed found, but they were buried much later than the construction of Stonehenge. However, the theory claims to be plausible, since the ancient cultures of Europe associated the stone with death. Experts also admit that for most of its history, Stonehenge may have served as a cremation ground. Of course, it was not without the "intervention" of extraterrestrial civilizations: supposedly Stonehenge - a landing site for UFOs. Most likely, this theory arose partly due to the fact that a military airfield is located near Stonehenge. And not so long ago, in 2008, one of the latest theories was put forward: Stonehenge served as a kind of prehistoric "health resort", where ritual ceremonies were performed to heal the sick. Analysis of the found remains of human bodies showedthat many of those buried at Stonehenge had serious injuries. Among them there are those who came from remote villages. Despite the huge number of theories, scientists have not yet come to a consensus about the purpose of Stonehenge.
Photo: Global Look Press
AGE OF STONEHENGE
At first, the researchers associated the construction of Stonehenge with the druids. However, archaeological excavations, the very first of which were undertaken by King James I, who visited Stonehenge in 1620, pushed the time of its creation back to the New Stone and Bronze Ages. Until recently, archaeologists believed that the construction of Stonehenge took place in several stages in 2600-2400 BC. e. Historians from the University of Bournemouth managed to establish a more accurate age of the monument: an analysis of hundreds of stone fragments showed that the structure appeared 300 years later - approximately between 2400 and 2200 BC. e. At the first stage, a moat was built between the ramparts - it was dug with the help of antlers. On the second, wooden structures appeared, which were then replaced by stone ones. There is an assumptionthat the third stage of the construction of Stonehenge took place under the guidance of an experienced architect, most likely from the island of Crete or from Mycenae. The version arose after an interesting find: on one of the stone blocks of Stonehenge, an "autograph" in the form of an ax and a characteristic Cretan-Mycenaean dagger was found. This gave reason to assume that the last stage of construction was led by a representative of the Cretan-Mycenaean school.
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Photo: Global Look Press
NAME STONEHENGE
The name "Stonehenge" is very ancient and, according to most researchers, has Anglo-Saxon roots. There are several versions regarding its origin. It could have formed from the Old English stan (stone - "stone") and hencg ("rod" - since the upper stones were fixed on the rods) or hencen ("gallows, torture instrument"). The latter can be explained by the fact that the ancient gallows were built in the shape of the letter "P" and resembled trilithons (a construction in which two vertical blocks support the third, horizontal one) of Stonehenge. There is also a version that Stonehenge is a Gaelic word meaning "dancing stones."
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Stonehenge is mainly built of blue stone, the closest relative of coarse-grained basalt, from the Presel Mountains in South Wales, about 320 kilometers from the site of the mysterious monument. The stones for the construction were transported by sea along the Avon River. Experiments carried out in the 1950s confirmed the possibility of floating blue stones along rivers within 2-3 miles of Stonehenge, and then ferrying them to the monument itself. But where did the ancient builders get such strong boats and how could they load stones on them without sinking the transport? At that time, only the Egyptians had sufficient experience in such transportation. An alternative point of view was proposed by geologists: glaciers brought blue stones to the Salesbury Valley, where Stonehenge is located. However,Since the glaciation of the Stonehenge area is not a scientifically proven fact, archaeologists still believe that the transportation was carried out by people, and this opinion was confirmed by the recent find of a blue stone on Stipholme Island in the Bristol Strait, which is located on the line of the shortest sea route from South Wales to Stonehenge. It is interesting that the deposits of another stone were much closer, but the ancient builders used this one. Why is unknown. In addition, it is not clear how the sarsens, the hard sandstone rock from which the Stonehenge megaliths were hewn, were transported: although they were moved a much shorter distance, they still had to be transported over hills and ravines, and these stones weighed up to 40 tons. At the same time, the inner side of the sarsens was processed much better than the outside. This suggests that perhapsthe room was closed. Archaeologists also discovered that the stones of the first Stonehenge were processed using the Egyptian technique of hammering with a heavy hammer, and a trace of a copper tool was found on one of the stones.
STONEHENGE AND EXACT SCIENCES
Stonehenge objects form a triangle with an aspect ratio of 5:12:13 - this is one of the Pythagorean triangles. And the famous astronomer Fred Hoyle, after studying the geometric features of Stonehenge, determined that the creators of this structure knew the exact orbital period of the Moon and the length of the solar year. In 1998, using a computer, astronomers conducted various studies of Stonehenge and came to the conclusion that this ancient monolith is a model of the solar system in cross section. According to this model, the solar system consists not of nine, but of twelve planets, two of which are located beyond the orbit of Pluto, and one more - between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This model is consistent with the beliefs of some ancient peoples who believed that the number of planets in the solar system is twelve.
Photo: Global Look Press