The Guilfordian

Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: World

Media Credit: mkgray.com Recent archaeological discoveries have been found in the area surrounding Stonehenge.

Recent excavations of nine Neolithic houses at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge are leading archaeologists to formulate new theories as to what role the 4,600-year-old megalithic monument held in its day. The village is thought to have housed the builders of Stonehenge during its construction.

There is also evidence to suggest the village served as a prominent center for ceremony adjunct to Stonehenge, attracting Neolithic peoples from all across southern England and perhaps other parts of Europe as well.

These claims are supported, archaeologists from the University of Sheffield say, by not only the village's proximity to Stonehenge, but by the discovery of roads in each location that lead to the River Avon, linking the two locations together as part of a greater religious complex.

"Stonehenge isn't a monument in isolation. It is one of a pair - one in stone, one in timber," said Mike Parker Pearson, leader of the University of Sheffield excavation team to National Geographic News.

Also, correlations have been found between the layouts of each site, as Stonehenge faces the midsummer sunrise, while Durrington Walls faces the midwinter sunrise. Further, Stonehenge's circle is aligned with the winter solstice sunset, while the remnants of a large timber circle discovered at Durrington appears to have been oriented with the winter solstice sunrise.

Archaeologists and historians can hardly overlook these parallels. Although relatively little is known about the culture of the Neolithic peoples of Britain, it is understood that celestial bodies held some significance in their practice of religion and ritual.

With that inference in mind, many archaeologists believe that the village was probably only occupied during these times of seasonal worship, when its alignment with the sun would provide ideal ritual conditions.

"This is where they went to party," said Pearson to BBC news. "You could say it was the first free festival."

According to Pearson, the findings at Durrington Walls force reconsideration of common perceptions of the conventional Stone Age village, as there is little evidence to support that the people there were involved in any form of daily economic or agricultural activity.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools