Another Use for Stonehenge

Through the years, experts have contemplated the idea of Stonehenge, Britain’s most ancient monument, and why it was there. Some say it was used as a calendar, others say it was a burial ground. Those who tend to think outside the box even claim it could have been used as a middleman between earthlings and aliens. I say it could have been all these things and more.

Since Stonehenge has been around for thousands of years since the days of the Vikings, it has prevailed through centuries of change, both culturally and geographically. The crusades came and went, Pagans did their thing, and it slowly became an obscurity and the enlightenment era enlightened. So why is it so hard to believe that Stonehenge could have been used for many different purposes?

Archaeologists now believe the significant rock formation could have also been used as a pilgrimage for the sick “who believed its stones had healing qualities.” (Reuters) Part of the mystery of Stonehenge has always lied in its bluestones (the smaller stones that form part of the circle) that were transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales to the south of England. Archaeologists from Bournemouth University, revealed Monday they believe these bluestones were used as healing stones. The group conducted a dig on location in April.

“It was the magical qualities of these stones which…transformed the monument and made it a place of pilgrimage for the sick and injured of the Neolithic world,” the team’s report stated. Geoffrey Wainwright, president of the Society of Antiquaries of London and one of the experts leading the team at Stonehenge told BBC radio that a big reason they came to this conclusion “was because a number of the burials around Stonehenge showed signs of trauma and deformity.”

Radio carbon dating puts the construction of the bluestone circles between 2,400 B.C. and 2,200 B.C, a few centuries later than what experts originally anticipated. The team found pieces of bluestone that had been “deliberately broken off” and coupled with pieces of holly, ivy and yew for accompanying rituals.

Tim Darvill of Bournemouth University admits he thinks the stones could have been used for more than one purpose. Both he and Wainwright have written many books and articles on the subject, including Stonehenge: the Biography of a Landscape, written by Darvill.

Read More Articles At WeEarth.com