Photo. Has the 4500 year old monument been a site for magic curing of people? © Travel Explorations.
The excavation was led by renowned Stonehenge academics Professor Tim Darvill of University of Bournemouth and Professor Geoffrey Wainwright, President of the Society of Antiquaries.
Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. The ancient monument is like a national symbol for England. Stonehenge is located 2 hours drive by car South West for London in the county of Wiltshire. The circle shaped huge stone structure has fascinated people for a long time. There has always been discussions what purpose Stonehenge served. Stonehenge and Avebury were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
According the English Heritage`s website (English Heritage), the organisation agreed to facilitate this excavation following the granting of Scheduled Monument Consent by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The last time an excavation was allowed inside the stone circle was in 1964.
The need for well-defined research within World Heritage Sites is recognised through UNESCO guidance; for Stonehenge in particular it is articulated through the World Heritage Site Management Plan and in the Stonehenge Research Framework, published by English Heritage in 2005.
The excavation at Stonehenge lasted for two weeks and ended 11 April. During this time Stonehenge has been open as normal and visitors have been able to observe the excavation on plasma screens inside a special marquee.
The fans of Harry Potter will probably know that the legend says that King Arthur`s wizard Merlin has placed the stone there. Stonehenge is also connected with the legend of the Oracle in Delphi.
Professor Tim Darvill of University of Bournemouth and Professor Geoffrey Wainwright, President aim wasx to provide a more precise dating of the Double Bluestone Circle, the first stone structure that was built on the site. They have also searched for evidences that Stonehenge has been used to cure people from sickness and injuries in the past. One indication is the the many burial places around contain an extreme high number of remains from people with sign on serious sicknesses and injuries.
Archaeologists tried to date the Circle in the 1990s and estimated that it was first erected at around 2,550BC. But no precise dating has yet been found nor the date of its dismantling.
Hopefully the research reveal the mystery about when and how at least 80 such stones were brought to Salisbury Plain 250 km away nearly 4,500 years ago. Is there really a magic power in the bluestones?
Stein Morten Lund, 26 April 2008
Additional information
More information about the dig:
Read about the prior research Professors Wainwright and Darvill conducted in the Preseli Hills in the Bluestone Project on the English Heritage website on New excavation april 2008.
English Heritage:
The organisation English Heritage offers Managed Open Access to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice. See its website: English Heritage.
Read more about Stonehenge on our global travelguide www.TravelExplorations.com.
E-mail this
Print this
