A few weeks ago news stories emerged about a new theory on the purpose of Stonehenge, the iconic stone monument in Salisbury Plain that was constructed between 3000 and 1500 B.C. Starting with that one, let’s take a look at some theories about Stonehenge that have been promoted over the centuries.
11. The recent study by Professor Timothy Darvill posits that the stones are laid out as a solar calendar of 365.25 days; one circle of thirty stones corresponds to the days in a month, divided into three ten-day weeks.
10. Another recent theory is that of Mike Parker Pearson, who argues that Stonehenge was a place of burial and centre for ancestor worship.
9. Steven Waller, a researcher in archaeoacoustics, has suggested that Stonehenge was made to create a sound illusion.
8. Some believe that Stonehenge was a place people came to be healed. The theory is that the bluestones which were brought 145 miles from Wales must have been credited with magical properties (also explaining why bits were chipped away — to keep as talismans). Supporting this theory is the fact that skeletons with signs of illness and injury have been found around Stonehenge.
7. About twenty years ago UBC professor Dr. Anthony Perks argued that Stonehenge was a giant fertility symbol.
6. In the 1960s Swiss author Erich von Däniken suggested that Stonehenge was built by extraterrestrials.
5. 18th century scholars were the first to observe that the entrance to Stonehenge faces the rising sun on the day of the summer solstice, suggesting that it was used by ancient astronomers to track the seasons.
4. English writer and natural philosopher Walter Charleton (1619 – 1707) argued that Stonehenge was built by the Danes in the Anglo-Saxon period.
3. English architect Inigo Jones (1573 – 1652) suggested that Stonehenge was the remains of a Roman temple.
2. Stonehenge was first surveyed in the 1660s by John Aubrey, who wrongly believed it was created as a religious centre by the Celts.
- In his tales of King Arthur 12th-century writer Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote that Stonehenge was created by the wizard Merlin, who moved the stones from Ireland by magic in the 5th century.
Sources
- “Stonehenge” by James Owens via National Geographic
- “5 Strange Theories About Stonehenge” by Stephanie Pappas via Live Science
- “Why Was Stonehenge Built?” via History.com
- “Solving the Riddle of Stonehenge’s Construction” by Jennie Cohen via History.com
- “Stonehenge was a solar calendar, according to research” by Chloe Harcomb via BBC
I like the Merlin story best.
It was built as a fortification obviously. Like the overwhelming majority of structures, built for people to gather in, it had a roof. It has a ditch surrounding it