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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.'"

8 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: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.

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

    Drawn on an ancient napkin...

  4. 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.

  5. 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?

  6. 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)
  7. 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