Rewriting Stonehenge's history (UCL)

Summary

The script discusses the multi-stage construction of Stonehenge, beginning around 3000 BC, and its use as a cemetery for up to five centuries. It highlights the discovery of Durrington Walls, a massive henge linked to Stonehenge, which likely served as a worker's camp for thousands. The seasonal occupation of this settlement, deduced from animal teeth analysis, aligns with key Neolithic calendar events. The script also touches on the social changes brought by the Beaker people around 2400 BC, leading to the decline of monument construction in Britain. It suggests Stonehenge was not a permanent temple but a site for periodic gatherings and feasts, reflecting a shift in Neolithic religious practices.

Takeaways

• 🏺 Stonehenge was constructed in multiple stages, beginning around 3000 BC with a bank and ditch, and later with standing stones and timber posts.
• 🪦 The site served as a cemetery from around 3000 to 2920 BC, and continued in use for several centuries.
• 🚜 The large sarsen stones at Stonehenge were transported from the Marlborough Downs, approximately twenty miles away, while smaller stones originated from the Preseli Hills in West Wales, a distance of 180 miles.
• 🏗️ Durrington Walls, the largest henge in Britain, is part of a larger complex linked to Stonehenge by avenues to the River Avon.
• 🏕️ Durrington Walls housed thousands, likely serving as a workers' camp during the construction phases of Stonehenge.
• 📅 The settlement at Durrington Walls was seasonally occupied, with evidence pointing to winter and summer habitation, correlating with significant Neolithic calendar events at Stonehenge.
• 🌅 Stonehenge's main alignment is with the midsummer sunrise, and its opposite direction aligns with the midwinter sunset, indicating its astronomical significance.
• 🛠️ There were at least five constructional stages at Stonehenge, with the last attempted phase around 1500-1600 BC that did not reach completion.
• 🧪 The arrival of the Beaker people around 2400 BC marked a significant social change, introducing new lifestyles, metal use, and individualizing social structures that differed from the collective power structures in Britain.
• 🌐 The construction and use of Stonehenge involved people from across Britain, not just local populations, suggesting a unifying purpose beyond mere construction.

Q & A

What is the earliest known stage of construction at Stonehenge?

The earliest known stage of construction at Stonehenge began shortly after 3000 BC, starting with a bank and a ditch, and also included standing stones and timber posts.

How long did Stonehenge serve as a cemetery?

Stonehenge was used as a cemetery for at least two hundred years, and possibly as long as five hundred years, starting around 3000 to 2920 BC.

What type of stones are the large sarsens at Stonehenge, and where do they originate from?

The large sarsens at Stonehenge are a type of sandstone that come from the Marlborough Downs, which are about twenty miles away.

What is the significance of Durrington Walls in relation to Stonehenge?

Durrington Walls is a nearby henge, and it is the largest henge in Britain. It is part of a larger complex linked to Stonehenge by avenues to the River Avon, and it is believed to have been the workers' camp during the construction of Stonehenge.

How did the researchers determine the times of year when people inhabited the settlement at Durrington Walls?

Researchers determined the times of year by investigating the culling of animals, specifically by aging them through the growth patterns of their teeth, which indicated that most animals were killed around nine months and fifteen months after birth, suggesting winter and summer occupations.

What is the main alignment of Stonehenge, and how does it relate to the Neolithic calendar?

Stonehenge's main alignment is towards the midsummer sunrise, and in the opposite direction, the midwinter sunset. These alignments are extremely important points within the Neolithic calendar at Stonehenge.

How many constructional stages have been identified at Stonehenge?

At least five constructional stages have been identified at Stonehenge, starting shortly after 3000 BC, with additional stages around 2500 BC, and minor rearrangements of smaller stones in the following 3-4 hundred years.

What social change in Britain is associated with the final stages of Stonehenge's construction?

The final stages of Stonehenge's construction coincide with the arrival of the Beaker people around 2400 BC, who introduced a new lifestyle, including the use of metals, the wheel, and a more individualized social structure.

How did the Beaker people's arrival impact the construction of megalithic structures in Britain?

The arrival of the Beaker people, with their different social structure and lifestyle, led to the end of large-scale monument building in Britain, including at Stonehenge, as their decentralized social structure did not support the collective effort required for such constructions.

What evidence suggests that Stonehenge was not used as a long-term pilgrimage site?

Evidence from the settlement at Durrington Walls indicates that Stonehenge was used in a punctuated form, with people coming, constructing, feasting, and then leaving, rather than being a site for long-term worship or pilgrimage.

What does the isotopic analysis of animal remains reveal about the geographical origins of the resources used at Durrington Walls?

Isotopic analysis, particularly of strontium in the teeth of cattle and pigs, shows that the resources used at Durrington Walls came from all over Britain, indicating a deliberate act of unifying and bringing people together from various regions.