Perched on Salisbury Plain, England, Stonehenge has fascinated the world for millennia. This monumental circle of stones, erected around 5,000 years ago, attracts researchers, history buffs and tourists from the four corners of the planet. Despite decades of research, its true purpose has remained a mystery…until today.
Stonehenge was likely built as part of a project to unify ancient peoples across the country, archaeologists say, according to a new study. The research, published Thursday (Dec. 19) in the journal Archeology International, builds on recent findings that the giant altar stone at the heart of the ancient monument was transported miles from present-day Scotland. The Independent tells us more.
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As a reminder, Stonehenge is a megalithic monument composed of a set of concentric circular structures, built in five major stages, between 3000 and 1100 BC. According to the researchers of the study, the monument was not simply a religious or astrological place, but an early example of a political and symbolic effort to unify diverse communities.
Indeed, its construction would have involved hundreds, if not thousands, of people, transporting colossal stones, and such a journey would probably have taken almost eight months. The monolithic altar stone, weighing more than 6 tons, was moved more than 700 kilometers from its original site. “Travel by land would have provided far greater opportunities for spectacle, pageantry, festivities and celebrations which would have attracted thousands of people to witness and participate in this extraordinary adventure”write the researchers.
Unit symbol
Stonehenge is also distinguished by the varied provenance of materials. Previous analyzes have shown that fine-grained sandstones, bluestones, and larger blocks called “sarsens” were brought from a location nearly 240 kilometers away, and used in the construction of the monument. It was between 2620 and 2480 BC that these emblematic large sarsen stones were placed, to form an outer circle aligned with the winter and summer solstices. A person standing right in the center of the stone circle could see the winter solstice sun setting in the middle of it.
More than a sacred site, Stonehenge reflects a symbol of unification, and proves that ancient societies in these remote regions were likely much more connected than previously thought, scientists say. “The fact that all of its stones come from remote areas, making it unique among more than 900 stone circles in Britain, suggests that the stone circle may have had a political as well as a religious purpose – as a monument to “unifying the people of Great Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos”, concludes the study’s lead author, archaeologist Mike Pearson.
