Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Stonehenge's secret: archaeologist uncovers evidence of encircling hedges
Guardian ^ | Thursday, February 4, 2010 | Maev Kennedy

Posted on 02/07/2010 9:58:47 AM PST by SunkenCiv

Inevitably dubbed Stonehedge, the evidence from a new survey of the Stonehenge landscape suggests that 4,000 years ago the world's most famous prehistoric monument was surrounded by two circular hedges, planted on low concentric banks. The best guess of the archaeologists from English Heritage, who carried out the first detailed survey of the landscape of the monument since the Ordnance Survey maps of 1919, is that the hedges could have served as screens keeping even more secret from the crowd the ceremonies carried out by the elite allowed inside the stone circle...

If the early Bronze Age date is correct, when the hedges were planted the Stonehenge monument already had the formation now familiar to millions of tourists, after centuries when the small bluestones from west Wales and the gigantic sarsens from the Stonehenge plain were continually rearranged.

The survey also found puzzling evidence that there may once have been a shallow mound among the stones, inside the circle. It was flattened long ago, but is shown in some 18th century watercolours though it was written off as artistic licence by artists trying to make the site look even more picturesque. The archaeologists wonder if the circle originally incorporated a mound which could have been a natural geological feature, or an even earlier monument.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; history; stonehenge
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last
To: Beowulf9

I was hoping JoeProBono would track ‘em down...


21 posted on 02/08/2010 9:26:43 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Sawdring

Oh, see, I should have read the rest of the thread... [blush]


22 posted on 02/08/2010 9:27:09 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Wow... Did we all Pigpile on poor Sawdring or what?


23 posted on 02/09/2010 7:31:27 AM PST by Lost Dutchman ("Weep for the future Na'Toth, Weep for us all." (G'Kar-Babylon 5))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Lost Dutchman

That’ll teach Sawdring to post under an alias. Oh, wait... ;’)

Yeah, I even blushed about it.


24 posted on 02/09/2010 2:30:25 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Raycpa
Perhaps the outer circles were the bathrooms and the inner circles where the beer was served.

hah! I've always said that Stone henge was built to be a tavern.

25 posted on 02/09/2010 3:16:46 PM PST by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson