Bluestonehenge
Encyclopedia
"Bluestonehenge" or "Bluehenge" is a prehistoric henge
and stone circle
monument that was discovered by the Stonehenge Riverside Project
about 1 miles (1.6 km) south-east of Stonehenge
in Wiltshire
, England
. All that presently remains of the site is the ditch of the henge and a series of stone settings, none of which is visible above ground.
The site was excavated in August 2008 and again in August 2009 and is considered to be an important find by archaeologists. Full details of the discovery were expected to be published in February 2010.
of antler
tools found at the site has not yet been completed. Excavation revealed several stone settings that are thought to have been erected around 3000 BC. It is estimated that there may have been as many as 27 stones in a circle 33 feet (10.1 m) wide. Charcoal
was found in some holes, suggesting that burning may have taken place there. One suggestion is that the henge
was a site for cremation
s.
The name "Bluestonehenge" is derived from the discovery of small stone chips in some of the stone settings. These bluestones are also found in Stonehenge and consist of a wide range of rock types originally from Pembrokeshire West Wales, some 150 miles (241.4 km) away. Archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson
suspects that any bluestones in the circle may have been removed around 2500 BC and incorporated into Stonehenge, which underwent major rebuilding work at about that time.
The stone circle settings were surrounded by a henge, comprising an 82 feet (25 m) ditch and outer bank which appears to date from approximately 2400 BC. Unlike Stonehenge, there do not appear to be any significant solar or lunar orientations within the monument.
, a linear ditch and bank route that leads to Stonehenge. Mike Parker Pearson has suggested that the site may have been used for ceremonial purposes – possibly as a stopping place along a routeway between Durrington Walls
and Stonehenge. Parker Pearson believes that Durrington Walls may have been a "land of the living" while Stonehenge (which was Britain's largest known cemetery at the time) was a "domain of the dead".
Henge
There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork which are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three types is that they feature a ring bank and ditch but with the ditch inside the bank rather than outside...
and stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
monument that was discovered by the Stonehenge Riverside Project
Stonehenge Riverside Project
The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a major AHRC-funded archaeological research study of the development of the Stonehenge landscape in Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain...
about 1 miles (1.6 km) south-east of Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. All that presently remains of the site is the ditch of the henge and a series of stone settings, none of which is visible above ground.
The site was excavated in August 2008 and again in August 2009 and is considered to be an important find by archaeologists. Full details of the discovery were expected to be published in February 2010.
Initial findings
The monument has been tentatively dated to between about 3000 and 2400 BC, although radiocarbon datingRadiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
of antler
Antler
Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...
tools found at the site has not yet been completed. Excavation revealed several stone settings that are thought to have been erected around 3000 BC. It is estimated that there may have been as many as 27 stones in a circle 33 feet (10.1 m) wide. Charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
was found in some holes, suggesting that burning may have taken place there. One suggestion is that the henge
Henge
There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork which are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three types is that they feature a ring bank and ditch but with the ditch inside the bank rather than outside...
was a site for cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
s.
The name "Bluestonehenge" is derived from the discovery of small stone chips in some of the stone settings. These bluestones are also found in Stonehenge and consist of a wide range of rock types originally from Pembrokeshire West Wales, some 150 miles (241.4 km) away. Archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson
Mike Parker Pearson
Michael "Mike" Parker Pearson is a professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield in England. His books include The Archaeology of Death and Burial, Bronze Age Britain, Architecture and Order and In Search of the Red Slave...
suspects that any bluestones in the circle may have been removed around 2500 BC and incorporated into Stonehenge, which underwent major rebuilding work at about that time.
The stone circle settings were surrounded by a henge, comprising an 82 feet (25 m) ditch and outer bank which appears to date from approximately 2400 BC. Unlike Stonehenge, there do not appear to be any significant solar or lunar orientations within the monument.
Context
The henge is located beside the River Avon in West Amesbury. Immediately beside it is the AvenueStonehenge Avenue
Stonehenge Avenue is an ancient avenue marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovered in the 18th century, it measures nearly 3 kilometers, connecting Stonehenge with the River Avon...
, a linear ditch and bank route that leads to Stonehenge. Mike Parker Pearson has suggested that the site may have been used for ceremonial purposes – possibly as a stopping place along a routeway between Durrington Walls
Durrington Walls
Durrington Walls is the site of a large Neolithic settlement and later henge enclosure located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. It is 2 miles north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury...
and Stonehenge. Parker Pearson believes that Durrington Walls may have been a "land of the living" while Stonehenge (which was Britain's largest known cemetery at the time) was a "domain of the dead".