Stonehenge

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Stonehenge's Altar Stone Came From Scotland
Stonehenge's Altar Stone
Came From Very Far Away
NEW STUDY
Aug 14, 2024 12:40 PM CDT

Stonehenge's Altar Stone Came From Very Far Away

Neolithic people somehow transported it hundreds of miles from Scotland, researchers say

(Newser) - Researchers aren't sure what the purpose of the Altar Stone at the center of Stonehenge was, but they now know where it came from—and it traveled a lot farther than they expected. According to a study published in the journal Nature , the six-ton sandstone slab came from Orcadian...

Stonehenge Vandals Strike Ahead of Solstice

Environmental activists toss orange powder at monument ahead of annual event

(Newser) - A day before celebrations to honor the summer solstice at Britain's iconic Stonehenge, the monument received a surprise paint job. Environmental activists sprayed what authorities described as orange paint at two of the monument's megaliths on Wednesday, per the BBC . A video shared by the Just Stop Oil...

Rare Moon Event May Shed Some Light on Stonehenge

Researchers hope to observe the stones during an upcoming 'lunar standstill'

(Newser) - Researchers have a rare window to observe Stonehenge's possible connection to the moon during an upcoming phenomenon known as a lunar standstill. As the BBC notes, scholars commonly believe the site had cultural and ritualistic connections to the sun during solstice. But the positions of four of its original...

Plans for Controversial Stonehenge Tunnel Approved

Though one expert says no work is likely to start any time soon

(Newser) - Plans for a contentious and long-delayed road tunnel near Stonehenge were approved Friday. The UK transport secretary gave the OK to the $2.2 billion plan to widen roads around the ancient site and build a 2-mile tunnel aimed at reducing traffic on England's A303 road, the Guardian and...

Unprecedented Drought Leads to 'Rare Opportunity'

Scientists rush to study 'Spanish Stonehenge,' ancient rock circle emerging as water levels drop

(Newser) - "Spanish Stonehenge" is back. The Dolmen of Guadalperal, a circle of 150 stones in Caceres believed to be about 7,000 years old, was purposely submerged underwater in 1963, part of Spain's efforts to build the Valdecanas reservoir. Over the years, the rocks occasionally peeked out when weather...

'America's Stonehenge' Demolished After Bombing

Mysterious granite structure was damaged early Wednesday

(Newser) - Early Wednesday, a bomb destroyed part of the mysterious Georgia Guidestones monument in a rural area in the state's northeast. Later in the day, authorities finished the job. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tweeted a photo of the destroyed granite monument, saying that "for safety reasons, the structure...

Stonehenge Looks Very Different This Week

Photos of Queen Elizabeth projected onto landmark stones to celebrate Platinum Jubilee

(Newser) - Whoever the designers of Stonehenge were, it's probably a decent bet that they didn't have this week's use of their monument in mind: Visitors this week will see photos of Queen Elizabeth II splashed across the front of the sarsens on Salisbury Plain, a tribute to the...

Century of Research Moved Stonehenge Origin Story 2 Miles
Stonehenge's Smaller Stones
Are the Real Mystery
longform
Feb 19, 2022 8:00 AM CST

Stonehenge's Smaller Stones Are the Real Mystery

'New Yorker' dives into the quest to pinpoint the origins of the monument's bluestones

(Newser) - The quest to fully unlock Stonehenge's origins is an ongoing one, and in a lengthy piece for the New Yorker , Simon Akam recaps some of the current research. His piece focuses largely on the bluestones that make up the monument. The sarsens are the behemoths; the bluestones are the...

Stonehenge Builders Made a Smart, or Lucky, Choice
Stonehenge Builders Made
a Smart, or Lucky, Choice
in case you missed it
Aug 21, 2021 6:30 AM CDT

Stonehenge Builders Made a Smart, or Lucky, Choice

Stone core is 99.7% quartz, and unlikely to succumb to erosion

(Newser) - Researchers have uncovered a secret to Stonehenge's everlasting survival, thanks to a long-lost core taken from the ancient structure. Stonecutter Robert Phillips got his hands on one of the three cores taken from a cracked sarsen stone as metal rods were inserted during restoration work in the 1950s . But...

Solstice Crowds Reject Advice to Stay Away From Stonehenge

Live feed was interrupted after people entered restricted area

(Newser) - Dozens of people have ignored advice not to travel to Stonehenge for the annual summer solstice celebrations, which were cancelled Monday due to coronavirus concerns. English Heritage, which looks after the Neolithic monument, had planned a live feed of the sunrise at Stonehenge for the second year in a row....

'MYSTERY SOLVED!' on Origin of Stonehenge's Megaliths

Scientists say most of the giant sandstone slabs came from West Woods in Marlborough Downs

(Newser) - In the 1500s, a British antiquities expert examined Stonehenge's biggest slabs and said he knew where they came from. Now, more than four centuries later, scientists are saying that William Lambarde was right on the money, solving one of the world's great archaeological and geological mysteries. The New ...

Big Discovery Near Stonehenge Adds to Site's Mystique
Scientists Make Big Find
Near Stonehenge
in case you missed it
Jun 27, 2020 10:00 AM CDT

Scientists Make Big Find Near Stonehenge

Giant circle of pits discovered about 2 miles away

(Newser) - The more they look, the more intriguing the area around Stonehenge gets to archaeologists. The latest discovery comes about two miles away: Scientists found what Reuters describes as a "giant circle of pits." And this was no random circle: In the exact center is another ancient monument, previously...

Stonehenge Adapts, Livestreams Solstice

Site is closed to tourists, but millions watch online

(Newser) - The coronavirus pandemic has prevented druids, pagans and party-goers from watching the sun rise at Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice this year. The ancient stone circle in southwestern England usually draws about 10,000 people to mark the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. But Britain...

'Spanish Stonehenge' Reappears in 50-Year First

Dolmen of Guadalperal was last seen in full in 1963

(Newser) - For a limited time, you can feast your eyes on "Spanish Stonehenge"—which has been unseen in full in more than 50 years. The ancient monument officially known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal—a circle of 150 stones up to 6 feet tall on Spain's Peraleda de...

The Call Came From America: I Have a Piece of Stonehenge

And it could be a coup for researchers

(Newser) - An 89-year-old gave a piece of Stonehenge back to ... Stonehenge. As the BBC reports, one of the trilithons—the distinct three-stone arrangements that make up the prehistoric monument—had fallen, and so in 1958 archaeologists went about righting it. While doing so, they noticed one of the stones had cracked....

Scientists Discover Who's Buried at Stonehenge
Scientists Discover Who's
Buried at Stonehenge
new study
Aug 4, 2018 2:45 PM CDT

Scientists Discover Who's Buried at Stonehenge

Number of people from South Wales is a 'surprise'

(Newser) - Ever wonder who's buried at Stonehenge? Maybe not, but some of them apparently came from a ways off—which adds to our understanding of Stonehenge and shows how 5,000-year-old cremated remains can still be analyzed, the Guardian reports. A new study finds that 10 out of 25 remains...

4 Famous Sites Likely to Underwhelm
4 Famous Sites
Likely to Underwhelm
May 31, 2018 11:52 AM CDT

4 Famous Sites Likely to Underwhelm

See Egypt's pyramids, then grab a pizza

(Newser) - You might think trips to see Stonehenge or Egypt's pyramids are worth the thousands of dollars in airfare and other travel expenses. These are majestic, ancient structures, after all. Sadly, there's more to such famous spots than most picturesque Instagram posts suggest. Four destinations likely to underwhelm, according...

7 Famous Landmarks Once Put Up for Sale

ListVerse's roundup includes 3 in the US

(Newser) - If you weren't among the 9,000 people who pooled their funds to buy an 800-year-old castle in France, don't fret: Other landmarks will surely come up for sale, just as they've done in the past. Here are seven of the most famous, according to ListVerse :

Not Everyone Pleased With Stonehenge Tunnel Route

Even though authorities shifted it 150 feet so as not to muck with the solstice

(Newser) - British authorities on Tuesday approved plans for a contentious and long-delayed road tunnel under the site of Stonehenge—but altered its route so it won't impede views of the sun during the winter solstice. The government said the 1.8-mile tunnel will bury a frequently gridlocked road, the A303,...

Drones Find Hundreds of Stonehenge-Like Spots in Amazon

More than 450 'geoglyphs' date from around the year 0

(Newser) - Scientists flying drones over the Amazon rainforest in Brazil have found more than 450 "geoglyphs" that are similar in size, structure, and possibly purpose to Stonehenge in England. The earthworks were likely used for public gatherings and rituals, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences...

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