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Excavations at Stonehenge May Answer Questions

Posted by Zonk on from the not-the-most-up-beat-tourist-attraction dept.

Smivs writes "The BBC are getting set to fund a dig at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. The two-week dig will try to establish, once and for all, some precise dating for the creation of the monument. An article from the BBC news website explains how the dig will investigate the significance of the smaller bluestones that stand inside the giant sarsen pillars. 'Researchers believe these rocks, brought all the way from Wales, hold the secret to the real purpose of Stonehenge as a place of healing. The researchers leading the project are two of the UK's leading Stonehenge experts — Professor Tim Darvill, of the University of Bournemouth, and Professor Geoff Wainwright, of the Society of Antiquaries. They are convinced that the dominating feature on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire was akin to a "Neolithic Lourdes" — a place where people went on a pilgrimage to get cured. Modern techniques have established that many of these people had clearly traveled huge distances to get to south-west England, suggesting they were seeking supernatural help for their ills.'"

22 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. It would be cool.... by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It would be cool if the BBC could get Spinal Tap to do the soundtrack for the program!!!

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:It would be cool.... by xPsi · · Score: 5, Funny

      Indeed, now we can get finally down to the business of figuring out "who they were" and "what they were doing." Not to mention important followup questions like: "where are they now, the little people of Stonehenge? And what would they say if we were here tonight?"

      --
      i\hbar\dot{\psi}=\hat{H}\psi
    2. Re:It would be cool.... by jd · · Score: 3, Funny

      If our ancient ancestors were alive today, I think the biggest thing on their minds would be "why is it so dark in here?" (with apologies to Terry Pratchett)

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      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    3. Re:It would be cool.... by zippthorne · · Score: 2, Funny

      Indeed. Although Pratchett wasn't the first to make that joke.

      But more in the spirit of today, we should, as a society, build a <really big monument> as mysterious and long-lasting as possible, just to jerk around our long-off descendants.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  2. Loudmouthed drunk British morons by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 1, Funny

    Things done by loudmouthed drunk British morons:

    Crop circles: check
    Football hooligans: check
    Blue Woads: check

    Stonehenge: ???

    Occam's razor, people.

    1. Re:Loudmouthed drunk British morons by QuantumG · · Score: 2, Funny

      So what you're saying is that Stonehenge is the British equivalent of the US space program?

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
  3. Re:An alternate interpretation by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pardon me, but I'm skeptical when I hear all of the sweetness and light interpretations. How about something more bloodthirsty, but just as reasonable?

    Why are you skeptical? It's pretty well-known that primitive tribes were peace-loving herbivores who lived in harmony with Nature. It wasn't until the white man came and introduced war and slavery that these tribes came to know such things.

  4. They're going to find the plans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Drawn on an ancient napkin...

    1. Re:They're going to find the plans by dkleinsc · · Score: 2, Funny

      Except that they'll find that the original plans called for stones 36" tall rather than 36'.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  5. How Many Date Nuts in a Bowl? by Prius · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't know you could actually get the 'exact date' it was built. I bet they built it on a thursday. Not monday, because nobody wants to do any serious work after the weekend. I know I don't. Not tuesday because that's Take Your Kid to Work day, so they can only make little Stonehenges. Maybe Woodhenges. Then they spend all wednesday cleaning up after the kids and deciding never to do that again (even though they always have another one). On friday, everyone leaves early so they can't get yelled at all weekend by their bosses and clubbed to death. And nobody works on Saturday and Sunday. Only crazy people. That just leaves thursday because they eventually get guilty about not doing any work and decide to do something.

  6. over time by evwah · · Score: 4, Funny

    isn't this a bit simplistic? I imagine that over the thousands of years, it was used for many purposes, built, rebuilt, rearranged, burned down, fell over, THEN sank into the swamp. wait where was I?

  7. Re:An alternate interpretation by jd · · Score: 4, Funny
    That would just answer part of the who.

    I think that was Pete Townshend.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  8. Re:An alternate interpretation by phallstrom · · Score: 5, Funny

    2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
    1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
    1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
    1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
    1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
    2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root

  9. Re:An alternate interpretation by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 3, Funny

    Advanced medical technology? Magic? These don't seem to go together...
    That's when the time travel comes in.

    Or perhaps vampires.
    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
  10. Re:An alternate interpretation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root I don't know, he's all slimy and smelly, but if you think it will work, I'll club and eat the root admin tomorrow. Wouldn't be the first time.
  11. Re:An alternate interpretation by zippthorne · · Score: 2, Funny

    It wasn't until the white man came and introduced war and slavery that these tribes came to know such things.
    Till.. the white man.. came.. to England..

    Heh. Clever what you did there.
    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  12. Re:An alternate interpretation by Crunchie+Frog · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah you must be right, I am sure the researchers have no idea what their talking about and came up with their ideas whilst throwing back beers at the pub in Amesbury. Ah, I see we have met the same archaeologists.
    --
    --- Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity
  13. Re:An alternate interpretation by Malevolent+Tester · · Score: 2, Funny

    Justice for the Beaker People! Send the Celts back where they came from.

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    If you haven't made a developer cry, you've wasted a day.
  14. Re:An alternate interpretation by CheeseTroll · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you eat the root admin, do you absorb his magic admin rights?

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    A post a day keeps productivity at bay.
  15. Re:How Many Date Nuts in a Bowl? by geminidomino · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course there was no wood left. Woodhenge suffered the same fate as Strawhenge. Big bad wolf blew them down and three little piggies were relocated into the projects.

    (How this story lasted this long without an Eddie Izzard reference is beyond me)

  16. crackpot guide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I went to Stonehenge. The tour guide was a crackpot. He tried to tell us about the magical powers of dowsing he had. I think the mystical energy of the henge fried his brain.

  17. Re:An alternate interpretation by Spleen · · Score: 2, Funny

    As root admin I've been anticipating this day. I have been soaking my liver in a nice rum marinade nightly to prepare. Enjoy.