Stonehenge and the surrounding ritual landscape
- Created by: Canar
- Created on: 01-05-16 11:23
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- Stonehenge and its ritual landscape
- Classic henges
- Stonehenge
- Built in multiple stages
- Phase 1-2800BC
- Bank and ditch made (4-7 feet deep, 6 foot high bank).
- Aubrey holes from first phase. 56 post holes in circle on inside. very little weathering as appear to have been infilled with chalk almost immediately after being dug.
- At least 24 holes have pits cut into them-remnants of cremated bone. Some with skewer pin-hold leather bag containing remains (Darvill)
- Possible de-fleshing enclosure? (Julian Richards)
- Also can be seen as enclosure and timber phase
- Enclosure phase
- Possibility that Stonehenge was a Neolithic causewayed enclosure to start with
- Proximity of other cuasewayed enclosures support this?
- Function?
- Cemetery?
- Cremated human bones on top of Aubrey holes and in banks and ditches
- Around C.70 bodies represented in ditch silts
- Darvill suggests shows burials from quite a distance.
- Around C.70 bodies represented in ditch silts
- Original entrance appears to be NE-not a celestial alignment
- Entrance moved later-to Summer solstice and other entrance to midwinter solstice.
- Can be confirmed by Avenue
- Stonehenge Avenue
- 3Km. connects River Avon and Stonehenge
- Some of its length aligned with summer solstice
- Built in phase 3
- River Avon end has Bluestonehenge there
- Bluestonehenge
- Ditch and stone settings all that remain
- Below ground
- Name comes from fact that traces of bluestone were found
- Some antler picks found
- Also found two flint chisel arrowheads
- 3000-2400BC
- Possible 27 stones, 33 feet wide
- No significant celestial alignments
- Ditch and stone settings all that remain
- Bluestonehenge
- 3Km. connects River Avon and Stonehenge
- Stonehenge Avenue
- Can be confirmed by Avenue
- Entrance moved later-to Summer solstice and other entrance to midwinter solstice.
- Cremated human bones on top of Aubrey holes and in banks and ditches
- Cattle bones-ceremonial feasting?
- Cemetery?
- Possibility that Stonehenge was a Neolithic causewayed enclosure to start with
- Timber phase
- Aubrey holes
- Cremated bones in pits, also on top and in ditches and banks.
- cemetery?
- Piles of ash and charcoal-pyres?
- For moving posts to alignments?
- Perhaps could form a 'celestial calculator'.
- Cremated bones in pits, also on top and in ditches and banks.
- cemetery?
- Timber posts-4 very large ones-celestial alignments. Winter solstice more important-a 'winter god'. (Darvill)
- Aubrey holes
- Enclosure phase
- Phase 2-2500BC
- Preseli bluestones brought to Salisbury plain
- Moved by man across Bristol channel?
- Attempted reconstruction of this method failed as rat capsised
- But if true then actual peoples would of been much more experienced at it
- Moved by man across Bristol channel?
- Attempted reconstruction of this method failed as rat capsised
- But if true then actual peoples would of been much more experienced at it
- But if true then actual peoples would of been much more experienced at it
- Attempted reconstruction of this method failed as rat capsised
- Moved by man across Bristol channel?
- But if true then actual peoples would of been much more experienced at it
- Attempted reconstruction of this method failed as rat capsised
- Or moved by nature?
- Rubbish left behind from glacier?
- Man scavenged stones from countryside?
- Rubbish left behind from glacier?
- Important! Why were they chosen specifically and brought to Stonehenge?
- Man scavenged stones from countryside?
- Just liked the look of them?
- Did they see them as having magical powers?
- Healing powers-sacred stone?
- Springs in Preseli-healing connection? (Wainwright and Darvill)
- Amesbury Archer found with bluestone clipping-considering injuries healing idea holds promise
- Springs in Preseli-healing connection? (Wainwright and Darvill)
- Healing powers-sacred stone?
- Representation of someone or something?
- Deities?
- Or place?
- Sacred place-Preseli like Mt Olympus of Britain? ritual and religious significance?
- Or place?
- Deities?
- Bluestone phase
- Moved by man across Bristol channel?
- Preseli bluestones brought to Salisbury plain
- Phase 3 part i-Preseli bluestones formed into two rings (Wainwright and Darvill)
- Preseli bluestones brought to Salisbury plain
- Or moved by nature?
- Rubbish left behind from glacier?
- Rubbish left behind from glacier?
- Important! Why were they chosen specifically and brought to Stonehenge?
- Just liked the look of them?
- Did they see them as having magical powers?
- Healing powers-sacred stone?
- Springs in Preseli-healing connection? (Wainwright and Darvill)
- Amesbury Archer found with bluestone clipping-considering injuries healing idea holds promise
- Springs in Preseli-healing connection? (Wainwright and Darvill)
- Healing powers-sacred stone?
- Representation of someone or something?
- Deities?
- Or place?
- Sacred place-Preseli like Mt Olympus of Britain? ritual and religious significance?
- Or place?
- Deities?
- Bluestone phase
- Or moved by nature?
- Phase 3ii. 2600-2500BC
- Bluestones moved to allow Sarsen stones to be built
- Bluestones arranged same as in Preseli
- Final stage of phase 3. 1500BC
- Y&Z holes constrcuted-hold Bluestones in place
- Last phase might represent unfinished phase-events occurred or change in beliefs?
- Mortoise and tenon joints
- Oblation?
- Bluestones in same arrangement as in Preseli-rebuilding ritual landscape?
- Y&Z holes constrcuted-hold Bluestones in place
- Sarsen phase
- Function?
- Alignment with Midwinter and Midsummer Solstice
- Acoustics?
- Sounds strange I know but some of stones of inner circle at Stonehenge are concave-reflective shaman/priest voice. Or perhaps can be used with other tools to make ethereal noises?
- Ethnographic evidence from other areas
- Oracle site?
- Sounds strange I know but some of stones of inner circle at Stonehenge are concave-reflective shaman/priest voice. Or perhaps can be used with other tools to make ethereal noises?
- Oracle site?
- Bluestones stored to one side
- Station stones
- Creation of perfect triangle around centre
- Surveying points or cardinal points for observation of stars?
- Short sides point to solstices and long sides to 18.6 year lowest and highest moons.
- Surveying points or cardinal points for observation of stars?
- Creation of perfect triangle around centre
- Function?
- Sarsen phase
- Function?
- Alignment with Midwinter and Midsummer Solstice
- Acoustics?
- Ethnographic evidence from other areas
- Oracle site?
- Oracle site?
- Bluestones stored to one side
- Station stones
- Creation of perfect triangle around centre
- Surveying points or cardinal points for observation of stars?
- Short sides point to solstices and long sides to 18.6 year lowest and highest moons.
- Surveying points or cardinal points for observation of stars?
- Creation of perfect triangle around centre
- Function?
- Preseli bluestones brought to Salisbury plain
- Phase 1-2800BC
- Cursus is also present-straddled pond?-Liminal site?
- Technically not a henge as ditch is on outside of bank
- Built in multiple stages
- Woodhenge
- Bank outside ditch
- 6 concentric sets of post holes
- Post structure or post and lintel?
- Flint cairn at centre-child inhumation with split skull-foundation sacrifice?
- Same alignment as Stonehenge
- Small henge monumnet
- Last remnant of declining Neolithic ritual? (Richards)
- Child inhumation/foundation sacrifice rare later
- Wooden element of death journey?
- Shaman?
- Goldsmith and shaman turn wood into stone?
- Liminal transformation-representative of life to death.
- Goldsmith and shaman turn wood into stone?
- Eastern section of ditch contained crouched teenage inhumation (less important)
- Deepest post holes 2m-7.5 m tall posts
- Recreating trees?
- Stonehenge
- Enclosure henge
- Durrington Walls
- Ceremonial site?
- Or settlement?
- Perhaps where pilgrims to Stonehenge stayed?
- Amesbury Archer could be a pilgrim example?
- Roofed?
- Perhaps where pilgrims to Stonehenge stayed?
- Or both! Settlement with ceremonial usage?
- Or settlement?
- Perhaps where pilgrims to Stonehenge stayed?
- Amesbury Archer could be a pilgrim example?
- Roofed?
- Perhaps where pilgrims to Stonehenge stayed?
- Or settlement?
- Sacrifice and feasting?
- Open aired?
- Or settlement?
- Unusual in that it straddles the bottom of a chalk valley.
- Large enclosure-13m wide ditch which is 6m deep.
- Two wooden structures inside-one with 4 concentric circles of post holes, other with 6.
- 4 concentric is known as south circle and is orientated to sunrise on midwinter solstice
- Paved avenue also exists.
- Aligned to summer solstice
- Similar to the 'Stonehenge Avenue'
- Led to River Avon
- Paved avenue also exists.
- 4 concentric is known as south circle and is orientated to sunrise on midwinter solstice
- 500m diameter
- Two wooden structures inside-one with 4 concentric circles of post holes, other with 6.
- Included a great quantity of animal bones and 'grooved wares'
- 2015 it was announced another monument of 90 standing stones was discovered under Durrington.
- Recent news is good-shows knowledge and awareness.
- Entertainment-arena of wood? Seems unlikely.
- Estimated 4000-6000 people to build
- Ceremonial site?
- Durrington Walls
- Ritual landscape connection theories
- Mike Parker Pearson and Romilisonina
- Compared to Madagascar where processional journey from life death represented by wood to stone
- Therefore for the ritual landscape at Salisbury the processional way is as follows
- Durrington Walls acts as domestic settlement
- Or
- Durrington walls acts as ceremonial centre
- Woodhenge represents the recently dead (due to avenue in Durrington walls could go through there from Woodhenge)
- Durrington walls acts as ceremonial centre
- Travel down River Avon-Liminal boundary?
- Disembark at Bluestonehenge-still on journey of death
- Follow Stonehenge Avenue to Stonehenge. Now dead as stone represents death.
- Buried around area in mounds. Buried stone=really dead. End of the line
- Follow Stonehenge Avenue to Stonehenge. Now dead as stone represents death.
- Disembark at Bluestonehenge-still on journey of death
- Or
- Separate the domain of the dead and living?
- Durrington Walls acts as domestic settlement
- Therefore for the ritual landscape at Salisbury the processional way is as follows
- Compared to Madagascar where processional journey from life death represented by wood to stone
- Division of world into three plains
- Deities
- Upper world. Fascination with sun and stars
- Middle world=earth
- Lower world=underworld
- Sun and moon opposites-large influence
- Follow cycles
- Year divided by solstices
- Middle world=earth
- Upper world. Fascination with sun and stars
- Could be connected?
- Separate the domain of the dead and living?
- Deities
- Mike Parker Pearson and Romilisonina
- Classic henges
- Also a Stonehenge 'twin' has been found and dubbed 'ghosthenge', but not enough evidence to justify inlcuding it i processional way..
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