One such project that looked at Stonehenge in this holistic way was the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project , which ran from to Underground radar and magnetic imaging techniques revealed that Stonehenge lies at the centre of a complex web of structures covering an estimated 4. However, this frenzy was short-lived. Instead, they found that timber posts once stood here. After they were removed, the holes were filled with chalk and then covered in earth to form a henge bank.
On radar scans, the gaps in the loose chalk had looked like stones. Despite this setback, UK lead for the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project Vincent Gaffney stressed that the project revealed hundreds of new features and many sites never seen before.
This allows us to interpret the evidence in a more sophisticated manner. In between the Neolithic village and the massive earthwork was a massive ring of posts somewhere between m ft in height — a minimum of and perhaps as many as This is completely new and would have been missed entirely without the survey. Modern stones mark where the pillars of Woodhenge, another ancient monument in the area, would have been Credit: Vivien Cumming.
The finding of another huge monument in the area has changed the way archaeologists look at the development and history of the region. In other words, the landscape was used in religious or ceremonial processions related to the monuments. So perhaps the posts were a monument to the people who lived here while building Stonehenge.
Understanding the significance of Stonehenge depends on understanding everything else around it as well. The Stonehenge Riverside Project found that Stonehenge was built in two phases. The first — a ditch, bank and circle of bluestones — was built years earlier than previously thought, more than 4, years ago.
The second phase, when the larger, iconic outer circle was erected, came about years after the first. To add to this theory, Stonehenge famously aligns to the Summer Solstice longest daylight time and Winter solstice shortest daylight time. According to this school of thought, the smaller bluestones at the centre of the circle are the key to this theory and, ultimately, the supposed purpose of Stonehenge.
As we know, the bluestones were dragged miles from the mountains of southwest Wales to the site at Stonehenge using primitive technology. Darvill and Wainwright argue that this massive undertaking required considerable resources and effort; resources that would only have been possible had there been a very good reason to attempt such a monumental undertaking. This, they argue , is owed to the supposed magical, healing powers of the stones due to their proximity to traditional healing springs.
Chippings carved out of the bluestone rocks found during digs around the site were used to produce amulets, suggesting the association of the rocks with protective and healing properties. According to their research , evidence suggests this practice continued well into the Medieval period. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you.
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