by Kathryn Hadley
Following the first dig inside the circle of sarsen stone pillars at Stonehenge for 44 years by Profs Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright, 14 samples of organic material from beneath the stones were sent for carbon dating at Oxford University. The results of the tests have provided new evidence about the origins and purpose of Stonehenge. The radiocarbon tests dated the stones to 2,300BC, 300 years earlier than previous studies. It is believed that the stones were transported to the plain from a site in the Preseli hills in South Wales 240km away. The excavations also suggest that Stonehenge may have been a type of healing centre, contrary to previous theories that it was a site of worship or a calendar to mark the solstices. Corpses found in nearby tombs reveal serious injury or disease and approximately half the corpses were from people who were not native to the region, suggesting that people may have travelled to Stonehenge, described by Darvill and Wainwright as a ‘Neolithic Lourdes’, to be cured. A documentary about the recent findings recorded by the BBC Timewatch series will be broadcast on BBC Two on September 27th.
Find out more from our archive and links:
Solving Stonehenge
Anthony Johnson argues that an accurate interpretation of the great monument rests in the sophisticated geometric principles employed by its Neolithic surveyors.
Stonehenge: How Did The Stones Get There?
Anthony Johnson argues that an accurate interpretation of the great monument rests in the sophisticated geometric principles employed by its Neolithic surveyors.
Our link page for other good Archaeology sites
Following the first dig inside the circle of sarsen stone pillars at Stonehenge for 44 years by Profs Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright, 14 samples of organic material from beneath the stones were sent for carbon dating at Oxford University. The results of the tests have provided new evidence about the origins and purpose of Stonehenge. The radiocarbon tests dated the stones to 2,300BC, 300 years earlier than previous studies. It is believed that the stones were transported to the plain from a site in the Preseli hills in South Wales 240km away. The excavations also suggest that Stonehenge may have been a type of healing centre, contrary to previous theories that it was a site of worship or a calendar to mark the solstices. Corpses found in nearby tombs reveal serious injury or disease and approximately half the corpses were from people who were not native to the region, suggesting that people may have travelled to Stonehenge, described by Darvill and Wainwright as a ‘Neolithic Lourdes’, to be cured. A documentary about the recent findings recorded by the BBC Timewatch series will be broadcast on BBC Two on September 27th.
Find out more from our archive and links:
Solving Stonehenge
Anthony Johnson argues that an accurate interpretation of the great monument rests in the sophisticated geometric principles employed by its Neolithic surveyors.
Stonehenge: How Did The Stones Get There?
Anthony Johnson argues that an accurate interpretation of the great monument rests in the sophisticated geometric principles employed by its Neolithic surveyors.
Our link page for other good Archaeology sites
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