Stonehenge under scrutiny
The megalithic sites such as Stonehenge invoke a completely different time-line.
People have been building, developing and using the structure for about 2,500 years. This is 1000 years longer than the written history of our civilization.
They have buried their ancestors around for about 2000 year. Our oldest cemeteries are no older than 200 years. Our oldest buildings survive less than 500 years.
What does it mean? Are we the superior ones to those 'primitives'?
Of course, we are simply different, based on the ever-changing demands of the economy. We pay less attention to the flow of time as the ancients did, as well. We don't need it as much, operating on a completely different mindset.
Stonehenge built begun almost 5,000 years ago with a ditch and earth bank. Next was the circle of bluestones, that one hardly notices because they seem like a cripple from the big megaliths. The bluestones were brought from the Preseli hills in west Wales. The big sarsen stones that most people recognize are the latest addition from a nearby quarry.
The first time we had a chance to enter Stonehenge in a quiet setting, brought an irresistible vision that the whole structure is simply a big clock; the indicators being the Sun, Moon, planets and stars, aligning with the stones.
During the normal visiting days, Stonehenge is cut off from the visitors, you can only admire it from distance. Many people are disappointed - the stones do not look as prominent as on enhanced photographs.
The nearby discovered site was named Woodhenge. Both are within an enormous area that seemed to be of special use to the Neolithic farmers that brought agriculture to Britain.
Stonehenge is only the tipping point of the vast sacred site, the most glamorous if we can say so. But the most interesting one is Woodhenge. Here, the archaeologists had found a wealth of remnants, a true insight into what was really going on, thousands of years ago.
The preserved stone hearth. Among it, people had been gathering from miles across ancient Britain, feasting and celebrating for days, mostly during the time of Winter Solstice. With them, they brought the ashes of their ancestors to be buried among the mounds of Stonehenge in a more or less, common ceremony.
Michael Parker-Pearson, the main archaeologists to dig here, called Woodhenge 'the place of the living', and Stonehenge 'the place of the dead'.
We will come back with more information. For now, the last final look at Stonehenge.
