There are more questions about Stonehenge than answers
Recently it became known that a gap appeared in the mystery of the majestic Stonehenge. As research shows, the main altar stone of this megalithic structure was mined in Scotland. But scientists still have at least five key questions about the prehistoric monument that have not yet been answered.
Photo: Wikipedia.org.
The secrets of Stonehenge have puzzled generations of archaeologists for over 400 years over this mysterious ancient structure, writes the Daily Mail. But even as modern scientists come closer to understanding this enigmatic object, new discoveries continue to raise more and more questions.
Researchers have recently discovered that one of the monument's «bluestones» was not mined in the Preseli Hills in Wales, as previously thought, but was taken from Scotland, up to 1,000 km from Stonehenge.
This discovery, the Daily Mail emphasizes, once again raises the question of how and why our ancient ancestors went to so much trouble to collect these particular stones in one place.
So, as scientists continue to deepen our understanding of this iconic site, MailOnline highlights the five biggest mysteries that still remain unsolved about Stonehenge.
Scientists have long known that Stonehenge is made up of two different types of stone, which were added to the site at different stages during its construction. The tall standing stones at the edges, which form the iconic arches, are sarsen stones, while the smaller stones in the centre are called 'bluestones'.
Sarsen stones are generally considered the less mysterious of the two varieties, with most experts believing they were quarried in nearby forests located just 15 miles north of Stonehenge.
Sarsen, as the Daily Mail explains, is a naturally occurring layer of sandstone that formed millions of years ago on the chalk of Salisbury Plain. During the Ice Ages, the chalk layer was repeatedly frozen and thawed, causing it to expand and contract. This resulted in the sarsen being broken into large shards that can be found on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, as well as in Kent and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset and Hampshire. Scientists believe that the builders of Stonehenge collected and transported all the large stones they could find nearby and arranged them into a ring.
However, the Daily Mail emphasizes, in reality everything is much more complicated than this simple story might suggest. In 2020, British researchers exposed sarsen stones to X-rays to reveal their chemical fingerprint. When rocks are irradiated, different minerals absorb and release different types of radiation, allowing researchers to accurately determine their composition. So, scientists discovered that 50 of the 52 sarsen stones were indeed found in the nearby Western Woods, but two stones seemed to have been brought from other places. What's even stranger is that these stones are also located at the northernmost points of the respective circles.
The researchers say the reason for this will likely remain a mystery, but suggest it could mean that another group of builders took over the project at some point.
But, continues the Daily Mail, the strangest origins have more small blue stones found in the center of the circle. In 1932, British geologist Thomas noted that the rocks at the site were extremely similar to those found in the Preseli Hills in Wales. Subsequent chemical analyzes carried out in 2014 and 2017 showed that the bluestones actually originated from two locations in Wales: Carn Godog and Craig Rhos y Felin.
But scientists have now identified a third source for the Stonehenge bluestone. Researchers from Curtin University in Perth have analysed the chemical composition and age of minerals in fragments of the altar stone. They have found that it is remarkably similar to the Old Red Sandstone from the Orcadian Basin in north-east Scotland.
The team of researchers said they were 95 per cent certain the stone was found in the area, which covers parts of Inverness, Thurso, Orkney and part of Shetland.
Professor Richard Bevins, from Aberystwyth University, who co-authored the paper, said the findings were truly «remarkable» because they «overturn what has been thought for the last century».
While moving the sarsen stones 15 miles across Salisbury Plain would have been an impressive feat in prehistoric times, the mass pilgrimages for the bluestones have baffled experts, the Daily Mail reports.
To transport the bluestones from Wales, Stonehenge's builders would have had to move them south over the top of the ridge, down again and then trek another 225km to Wiltshire. Meanwhile, moving the altar stone from the Orcadian Basin would have meant transporting a six-tonne, five-metre-long stone up to 1,000km.
This impressive journey, writes the Daily Mail, has forced scientists to reconsider our ideas about the technological and social progress of Neolithic societies.
Professor Nick Pearce from Aberystwyth University believes that there is no doubt that the Scottish source of the stone testifies to a high level of social organization in the British Isles in that distant period.
But since the stones are estimated to have been moved between 2620 and 2480 BC, the limitations of the technology available at the time have left many wondering how this could have been possible.
Because the stones that make up Stonehenge are so heavy, it is unlikely that they were transported by boat, as this would have been an extremely dangerous undertaking. And moving the stones by land would have required a huge and well-coordinated team, writes the Daily Mail.
Some early estimates suggested that it would take 500 men with leather ropes to pull a single stone, and another hundred men to install the rollers in front of the sleds. However, the hard surfaces and trenches required by the rollers would have left their mark on the landscape, but so far none have been found.
To explain how the stones could have been moved, researchers from Newcastle University suggest that the Stonehenge builders may have used 'oiled sleds'. Indeed, pottery found at Durrington Walls, not far from Stonehenge, has been found to have unusually high levels of pig fat soaked into the clay.
While it has been assumed that the fat came from cooking, the shape of the pots suggests that the dishes were more like buckets than plates. The researchers say this could indicate that the Stonehenge builders used oiled wooden sleds rolled over logs, which would have required just 20 people.
Other theories suggest that the stones may have been dragged by draft animals or transported using complex transport systems. For example, archaeologists from the University of California have found that the leg bones of Neolithic cattle have characteristic wear marks that indicate they were used as «movers.»
Some have suggested that the stones may have been placed in giant wicker baskets and towed by these devices. However, since any wood or wickerwork has long since rotted away, exactly how the stones were moved such long distances will likely remain a mystery forever, the Daily Mail acknowledges.
Ever since the Duke of Buckingham commissioned the first survey of the site in the 1620s, researchers have been fascinated by the identity of Stonehenge's mysterious builders, writes the Daily Mail. The earliest theories suggested that the structure might have been built by the Romans, but by the late 17th century, people had begun to believe that Stonehenge was actually built by the native British.
Modern researchers no longer believe that the site was built as a monument by the Druids, and now believe that the site was erected by several different groups.
Researchers have discovered a circular ditch and a series of circular pits that are thought to date back to 3100 BC. No one knows who built the structures, but archaeologists have since discovered the cremated remains of around 150 people buried in 64 locations around the pits. Pottery fragments and bones suggest that construction of the famous bluestone structure did not begin until 2600 BC.
There is little evidence of these builders, but archaeologists now believe they may have settled at the nearby settlement of Durrington Walls, located just 2.8 km from Stonehenge. This is thought to be where the Neolithic custodians of Stonehenge lived and held large festivals for part of the year.
Excavations at the site have shown that locals enjoyed sweet treats such as hazelnuts, sloes, crab apples, as well as offal and roast pork.
Archaeologists now believe that the ceremonial feast attracted people from all over the country to the sacred site. Studies of pig and cattle teeth found along the road to Stonehenge have shown that people brought the animals from up to 500 miles away.
In addition, the researchers found that people may have visited the nearby settlement of Blick Mead, about a mile east of Stonehenge, from 8820 BC, travelling up the River Avon in wooden boats.
However, the true identities of Stonehenge's builders and caretakers remain shrouded in mystery, the Daily Mail notes. The situation has been further complicated by the discovery of a second stone circle at Waun Maun in the Preseli Hills. Analysis of Waun Maun has suggested that it may be the oldest known stone circle in Britain, dating back to around 3400 BC. However, new research suggests that the Waun Maun circle was dismantled and moved to Stonehenge. This means that the original builders of Stonehenge may have brought their stones from Wales.
If the ancient builders went to all the trouble of bringing their stones all the way from Wales, it begs the question of why they ended up on Salisbury Plain. But while Stonehenge may look like a lonely monument now, researchers say it was once anything but. In fact, Stonehenge was once the centre of a vibrant religious hub, the Daily Mail reports.
In 2016, archaeologists unearthed a large sacred complex just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Stonehenge. The site is thought to be 1,000 years older than Stonehenge and was a sacred site where Neolithic people held ceremonies including feasting and the deliberate smashing of pottery bowls.
The 'enclosure', the Daily Mail notes, is one of around 70 found across England and the second in the Stonehenge landscape.
In 2011, a team of researchers from the University of Birmingham discovered that the area may have been used for sun worship hundreds of years ago. Using ground penetrating radar, archaeologists discovered two 16-foot-long ditches filled with wooden stakes believed to mark the sunrise and sunset on the summer solstice. Scientists believe these findings indicate that the site may have been widely known to Neolithic people as an area of special significance.
But why this belief arose remains a mystery, the Daily Mail reports. Some researchers suggest it may be linked to a natural feature called Stonehenge Avenue. During the Ice Age, meltwater flowed down the hillside from the site and formed a series of channels that stretch for 1.5 miles from the north-eastern entrance to the stone. Experts suggest that the avenue naturally aligns with the midwinter sunset in one direction and the midsummer sunrise in the other.
Some believe that Neolithic people may have been drawn to the site because of the sun's position there, but it is almost impossible to say for sure.
No matter how much scientists learn about Stonehenge, the purpose of the site remains frustratingly unclear. Human remains found at the site have led some to speculate that it may have been an ancient cemetery or memorial site. Cremated remains found in pits and ditches from the earliest structures seem to support this theory, but more recent evidence is less encouraging.
After 2500 BC, Stonehenge's builders stopped burying their dead within the circle and instead began burying them in a ditch on the periphery, the Daily Mail reports. Further deepening the mystery, those buried at Stonehenge lack the grave goods and furnishings found in other nearby burials from a similar period.
One of the most popular alternative theories is that Stonehenge was built in accordance with the movement of the sun and the seasons. Researchers, as the Daily Mail writes, have long noticed that the location of Stonehenge corresponds to the position of the sun during the summer and winter solstices.
Professor Timothy Darvill, from Bournemouth University, says the arrangement of the stones could have acted as a stone calendar, marking the days of each month. He believes the site may have allowed Neolithic people to track the passage of the day to determine the timing of rituals and farming.
More recent research also suggests the site may have been built to align with our moon, a rare event called a 'lunar standstill', when the moon rises and sets at its furthest points on the Earth's horizon. Dr Fabio Silva, a senior lecturer in archaeological modelling at Bournemouth University, believes that ancient worshippers may have gathered to celebrate the event in the same way they did at the solar solstices.
If so, the Daily Mail says, it means that Stonehenge's builders had a far greater understanding of astronomy than we once thought. However, it doesn't help us understand why Neolithic people thought it was important or what they used the site for.