New research suggests that Stonehenge may have served a political as well as religious purpose.
It’s that time of year when crowds of pagans, druids, hippies and tourists head to Stonehenge in Britain to celebrate the winter solstice , with the shortest day and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. Thousands are expected on Saturday at the megalithic circle on a plain in southern England as the first rays of sun break through the giant stones that make up one of world’s most famous prehistoric monuments.
Rain has been forecast but there is no doubt it won't be able to drown out the drumming, chanting and cheering. Beyond the fascination of the ritual, the eternal question may still linger in the back of the minds of many visitors: What was the real meaning and purpose of Stonehenge? The site has been the subject of vigorous debate, with some theories seemingly more outlandish, if not alien, than others.In a paper published in the journal Archaeology International, researchers from University College London and Aberystwyth University say that the site on Salisbury Plain, about 128 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of London, may have had some unifying purpose in ancient times.What was surprising was that it came from so far away. It was long known that the other stones come from all over Britain — including the so-called bluestones, the smaller stones at the site that came from Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 240 kilometers (150 miles) away.“The fact that all of its stones originated from distant regions ... suggests that the stone circle may have had a political as well as a religious purpose,' said lead author Professor Mike Parker Pearson from UCL's Institute of Archaeolog
Stonehenge Winter Solstice Archaeology Ancient Britain Megalith
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