The Mystery of Stonehenge - Essay Example

The Mystery of Stonehenge Stonehenge is arguably one of the oldest, most mysterious monuments in the world, as well as one that has generated a myriad controversies since it was discovered. Possibly the most famous henge in the world, this structure, that dwarfs everything else around it, inspires awe in the millions of people who visit it every year. The five thousand year old monument was made a World heritage Site in the year 1986 and is managed by English Heritage. Controversies have raged over the years over its purpose, and who built it, and despite years of study and research these continue to baffle mankind. As Lord Byron succinctly remarked in his poem Don Juan “The Druid’s groves are gone so much the better, Stonehenge has not but what the devil is it?” (Byron, Canto 11) Although many theories exist about who built it, and the purpose for which it was built; latest archeological research points to its being built by the Britons of the Stone Age. However, given that the time frame for building the monument is so long, it was probably built in stages by different peoples, some of whom may have migrated from other areas. The builders of Stonehenge too, may have evolved from hunters and gatherers to farmers and tradesmen. It seems to be have been a highly sophisticated society, and the purpose of Stonehenge too would have evolved, from purely a burial site to include healing, using it to predict seasons, as well as for religious rites and ceremonies. A megalith which literally means large stone slabs, was a conspicuous form of expression among people of the Neolithic age. Stonehenge is a Megalithic monument, different from other such monuments due to the unique trilithons towering over the landscape and visible for miles around the area. A henge is a monument built in a circular area, of stone or wooden pillars surrounded by a ditch and ostensibly used for religious rituals. Stonehenge is situated on the Salisbury plain in Wiltshire, England. An engineering marvel of pre-historic times, Stonehenge is a tribute to the ingenuity, labor and determination of the people who built it. Stonehenge consists of layers of stone circles and horseshoe patterns. Extensive archeological research has ascertained that Stonehenge was built in three stages between 3100 and 2500 BC. “We know from modern scientific dating methods that the prehistoric people who lived in Southern Britain before 3000 BC began construction, by building a small earth circle called a henge, with a bank, surrounded by a ditch. Different phases of the monument were eventually built inside this circle” (Malone, 14) Stonehenge being so old and shrouded in mystery has given rise to myths and speculations about who built it. Also known as the Giant’s Dance, the stones are believed by some to have been erected by the devil. The huge stones transported over such long distances at a time when the wheel was yet to be invented, and the lintels that are so well fitted to the stones, at a time when such things were unknown, have prompted stories of the monument being built and visited by aliens. The legend of Merlin seems to have originated sometime in AD 450 after a war between the Saxons and the British. The king wanted the Giant Ring Circle in Ireland to be moved to the war site, as a befitting memorial for those who had laid down their lives in the battle. He sent a vast army to move the stones but it was only Merlin with his magical powers who was finally able to move the stones. Many people including the historian John Aubrey as well as William Stukeley, believed that the Celtic Druids built Stonehenge for religious purposes. This theory was believed for a long time, till modern methods of dating proved that Stonehenge was built long before the Druids settled on the Salisbury plain. One theory claims that Stonehenge along with other sites served as landmarks and helped the natives navigate their way through what at the time must have been dense forest area. The semi-nomadic tribes of the Salisbury plain seem to have begun the construction by digging a circular ditch with 56 holes around its perimeter, known as Aubrey holes, after the scholar John Aubrey who first discovered them in the 17th.century. The heel stone was the first stone to be erected outside the entrance of the site, while later, blocks of bluestone were brought from a quarry in the Preseli Mountains, and erected to form two concentric circles. The entry now known as the avenue was altered to align with the parallel lines of the ditches that run from Stonehenge to the horizon. Much later these stones were dismantled and erected within a circle of gigantic stones known as Sarcens. The Sarsens and Trilithons form an outer ring. These massive stones that weigh as much as 26 tons are capped by morticed stone lintels. The stones were placed in such a way as to increase in size towards the center and the shape of the stones alternated between tall, thin pillar shaped stones, and tapering stones shaped like an obelisk. The bluestones were then erected within the outer circle to form an inner horseshoe and a smaller circle. Generations of visitors to the monument have marveled at the construction of so huge a monument at a time when man used the most primitive tools. The Sarsens were mined from a quarry about 30 kilometers away, while the bluestones came from the Preseli mountains almost 400 kilometers away. Speculation is also rife about how the stones that were used were transported over such long distances, especially since the stones are both huge and heavy. These speculations have given rise to myths surrounding the builders of Stonehenge ranging from wizards to aliens. There are some plausible explanations about the transport of these stones. Since Stonehenge dates to a period before the invention of the wheel, it is possible that these prehistoric people waited for the winter when they could slide the stones over the ice of the river Avon. The Avenue or entrance to Stonehenge leads to the river, so it is quite possible that this is how the stones were transported. They may also have been transported by rafts over the river and then dragged to the site, or moved on sledges on greased wooden tracks and pulled by ropes. Mystery also surrounds the purpose of the monument. Since time immemorial people have wondered about the purpose of Stonehenge. In 1130 A.D. a historian remarked that "no one can conceive how such great stones have been so raised aloft, or why they were built here." (Quoted from Time Magazine) Many theories exist regarding the purpose of building this monument and some seem to be more plausible than others. In the 18th.century when William Stukeley, the British Antiquarian discovered that the midsummer sun rose over the heel stone of Stonehenge; and the rays shone into the center of the monument, the implication was that Stonehenge was a temple built to the sun god. However, the astronomer Gerald Hawkins pointed to the fact that Stonehenge is not only aligned to the solar and lunar events but identified 165 points that can be linked to astronomical events like the solstices, equinoxes and eclipses. He calls Stonehenge an ancient astronomical calendar. Many people subscribe to this theory. The sun at the summer solstice is aligned to the center of the monument. This, they say cannot be an accident. It can hardly be an accident, that the entire monument is placed so that the rising sun is in a direct line to the axis of the center of the monument, on the day of the summer solstice. This alignment was therefore fundamental to the position and design of Stonehenge. Archaeoastronomists believe that the Aubrey holes served as reference points for astronomical calculations. For example the cycle of the moon that takes about 27.3 days can be tracked by moving a marker two holes everyday to complete one cycle of 28 days. Another theory suggests that the Aubrey holes symbolized entry into the underworld. These of course are only speculations and the truth may never be known. In all societies since the beginning of time, there has existed a hierarchy among those who held power over the common people. So also in the society that built Stonehenge, there were probably the tribal chiefs whose power was absolute. However, these too were probably guided by wise men who at the time were thought to be in communion with the spirits or higher beings, who brought to pass events that were thought to be beyond the power of mere humans. This pattern has existed since time immemorial and persists to this day in some parts of the world. The horizon over which the sun rose and set everyday was acknowledged by all, but it was probably only the wise men who realized that the sun did not rise and set in the same place on the horizon every day. These wise men of the time probably saw the sun rise and set at different points at different times of the year and recognized a pattern. It is possible that an enterprising wise man placed a staff to mark the position of sunrise over a period of time and saw a pattern that repeated itself regularly. The farmer who depended on knowing the seasons to get the best out of his land, so he could plough, sow and reap at the correct times of the year, would depend on these wise men to guide him. The wise men who saw the pattern would in turn advise the chief to build the monument so they could predict seasons accurately, taking into account solstices and equinoxes which the farmer did not understand. This gave the wise men the power over both the ordinary tribal as well as the chief. This monument was therefore in the interest of the entire community. The Stonehenge Riverside Project’s researchers also believe that the site of the monument definitely held significance for the pre-historic Britons who built it. It is situated upon a series of natural landforms that form an axis, between the points of the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset. Says Prof Pearson of the University of Sheffield, “When we stumbled across this extraordinary natural arrangement of the sun’s path being marked in the land, we realized that prehistoric people selected this place to build Stonehenge because of its pre-ordained significance. This might explain why there are eight monuments in the Stonehenge area with solstitial alignments, a number unmatched anywhere else. Perhaps they saw this place as the centre of the world,” ( Pearson, Sci-News.com) Other theories point to Stonehenge being a place of healing where scrapings from the stone were said to have healing powers. Archeologists have discovered skeletons with crude wounds that may point to some sort of primitive attempts at surgery. There are still others who proclaim it to be a temple and a burial ground. Researchers however are not convinced and most go with the theory of the monument having multiple purposes, serving as a place of worship as well as an astrological calendar as well as a burial site. “Stonehenge was a center for ancestor worship that was linked by the River Avon and two ceremonial avenues to a matching wooden circle at nearby Durrington Walls. The two circles with their temporary and permanent structures represented, respectively, the domains of the living and the dead.” (Pearson, National Geographic) “Initially it seems to have been a place for the dead with cremations and memorials,” says Darvill, “but after about 2300 B.C. the emphasis changes and it is a focus for the living, a place where specialist healers and the health care professionals of their age looked after the bodies and souls of the sick and infirm.” (Darvill, Smithsonian Magazine) There is evidence that people came to Stonehenge from as far away as Europe. Many of the springs and wells in the Wales area are said to have healing powers. The bluestones used in Stonehenge were brought from Wales, and in his History of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth has alluded to the healing powers of water that was poured over the stones. Geoffrey Wainwright and Timothy Darvill who led an excavation to Stonehenge, examined the area from where the bluestones had been quarried, and found prehistoric art carved on some of the springheads. That was when it struck them, that the purpose for which the bluestones were brought to Stonehenge from so far away, was their healing powers. Wainwright recalls, “The pieces of the puzzle came together when Tim and I looked at each other and said, ‘It’s got to be about healing.’” (Wainwright, Smithsonian Magazine) It has been proved that the Amesbury Archer was originally from central Europe. His remains found near Stonehenge point to the fact that he suffered from a dental abscess and an infected knee. He may have travelled to Stonehenge in the hope of a cure of which he may have heard. The Amesbury Archer seemed to have prospered in his new homeland, perhaps due to his pottery skills that he brought from his original homeland. This is evident from the jewellery and gold that was found buried with him. It is speculated that news of the magical healing powers of Stonehenge may have prompted people to journey many hundreds of miles, braving the elements in the hope of finding a cure. The Amesbury Archer also nicknamed the King of Stonehenge seems to have arrived at the time of the erection of the Sarcen stones. Some archeologists believe he may have helped in the planning and organization of the construction of that stage of Stonehenge, since he seemed to have been a powerful person from the artifacts found in his grave. However Pearson disagrees “This was no architect of Stonehenge. Nor was he necessarily among the earliest waves of Beaker immigrants, despite his long-distance journey to Britain” (Pearson, Antiquity) A lot of recent excavation has taken place at Durrington Walls a henge some 2 miles from Stonehenge. Prof. Pearson of the Stonehenge Riverside Project believes that Stonehenge was a burial place for members of the elite in the society of the time. On the other hand Durrington Walls was built to house the living. Some well preserved houses have been excavated here and researchers have found remains of flint tools and other evidences of Stone Age life. Prof. Pearson believes that Durrington Walls was a large circular village with over 300 houses, making it the largest village of its time in the area. “We think that both men and women and presumably children were living there — everybody seemed to have been involved in the building of Stonehenge.” says Pearson (Pearson, University of Bristol) Since the building of Stonehenge was carried out in phases, each stage of the construction was possibly carried out by different sets of people. The first stage of Stonehenge was probably built by the Windmill Hill people, so named because of the earth work on Windmill Hill near Stonehenge. These were semi nomadic hunting and gathering groups who also had an agricultural economy. These people, who built the large mounds and furrows at Stonehenge, had a reverence for circles and symmetry. Originating in Eastern England, these Windmill Hill people were buried collectively in large stone tombs. The second group of people who built the next phase of Stonehenge was the Beaker people. Their name comes from the pottery cups that are found buried with their dead. These people did not bury their dead in mass graves, but gave them small round graves in which they included weapons and pottery. These were marked by mounds called Tumuli. These Beaker people seemed to have been a very organized and industrious society, familiar with the use of mathematical concepts. They also seem to have had a hierarchical society with a tribal chieftain at its head possibly with advisors, and the chain ending with the lowest worker. The Wessex people seem to have completed the final stage of Stonehenge. These people were traders and controlled trade routes in the south of Britain. The bronze dagger carving on one of the large Sarsen stones at Stonehenge points to the work of the Wessex people. According to new research from the Stonehenge Riverside Project, it was constructed to unify the people of Stone Age Britain. It is according to them a symbol of the unification of the various tribes that had for centuries been separated by an east-west divide. The erection of Stonehenge brought together previously isolated societies, encouraging them to make similar tools, pottery and houses. Since Stonehenge was not built in one go, it was something that was continuous and evolving. So while the importance of the site was never in doubt, the purpose for which it was built may have varied over time. The late Professor Richard Atkinson, a leading authority on Stonehenge, remarks “No prehistoric monument in Britain, or for that matter in Europe, has been the subject of more speculation and controversy” (Atkinson, 181) When asked about the purpose of the monument he replied "There is one short, simple and perfectly correct answer. We do not know and we shall probably never know".(Atkinson, Bradshaw foundation) Works Cited Atkinson. Richard. Stonehenge. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1956. Print. Atkinson. Richard. “The Age of Megaliths” page 1 Bradshaw Foundation web 5 December 2012 < http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/stonehenge/index.php> Byron Don Juan Canto 11 Verse XXV web 5 December 2012 Darvill Timothy Smithsonian Magazine October 2008 “New Light on Stonehenge” By Dan Jones page 3 web 5 December 2012 Malone Caroline, Bernard Nancy Stone Stonehenge New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. Pearson, Mike Parker. Sci News.com Archeology By John Shanks June 25 2012 “New Theory Explains Stonehenge Mystery” web 5 December 2012 Pearson, Mike Parker. University of Bristol Press Release 29 may 2008 “Dates for Stonehenge Burials Signify Long-Term Use as Cemetery” web 5 December 2012 Pearson, Mike Parker National Geographic “Scientists Try to Crack Stonehenge’s Prehistoric Puzzles” By James Owens web 5 December 2012 Pearson, Mike Parker et al “ The Age of Stonehenge” Antiquity. Sep 2007, Vol. 81 Issue 313, p 617-639. 23p. Database: Academic Search Complete Time World “A brief History of Stonehenge Theories” By Dan Fletcher March 2009 web 5 December 2012 Wainwright Geoffrey Smithsonian Magazine October 2008 “New Light on Stonehenge” By Dan Jones page 2 web 5 December 2012 . Read More