What is the Stonehenge Riverside Project and what was their goal at Stonehenge?
The main aims of the project were to test the hypotheses of earlier studies that Stonehenge was a monument dedicated to the dead, whilst Woodhenge and Durrington Walls, two miles away, were monuments to the living and more recently deceased.
When was the Stonehenge Riverside Project?
2009
The Stonehenge Riverside Project, which undertook major excavations at the henge monument of Durrington Walls and elsewhere in the Stonehenge World Heritage site between 2004 and 2009, has led to further research to explore the origin of the stones used to build Stonehenge itself.
What is Parker Pearson’s conclusion about Stonehenge and Durrington Walls?
Professor Parker Pearson said: “We can tell from ageing of the pig teeth that higher quantities of pork were eaten during midwinter at the nearby settlement of Durrington Walls, and most of the monuments in the Stonehenge area are aligned on sunrise and sunset at midwinter rather than midsummer.
Who is the leader of the Stonehenge Riverside Project based at Durrington Walls?
Only small areas of Durrington Walls, located less than two miles from better-known Stonehenge, have been investigated by archaeologists. Eight of the houses’ remains were excavated in September 2006 in the Stonehenge Riverside Project, led by Parker Pearson and five other archaeologists from Britain.
What is known about Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument. It was built in several stages: the first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC.
What was discovered in the 20th century about Stonehenge?
Even today, people who identify as modern Druids continue to gather at Stonehenge for the summer solstice. However, in the mid-20th century, radiocarbon dating demonstrated that Stonehenge stood more than 1,000 years before the Celts inhabited the region, eliminating the ancient Druids from the running.
What is archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson explanation for why Stonehenge was built?
“The current theory is that Stonehenge was created during a time of profound social change,” says Pearson. It was at a time when “Britain was moving away from being isolated tribal territories to being a unified county.” Unlike previous thought, its construction probably involved all the people of Britain.
What was Durrington Walls and how did it function?
Durrington Walls is thought to have been a site used for ritual or ceremonial activity from about 2000 to 1600 bce. The discovery of pottery and animal bones led researchers to infer that the site was used for feasts rather than for ceremonies or rituals relating to death, which were likely carried out at Stonehenge.
What is Mike Parker Pearson’s interpretation for the relationship between Stonehenge and Durrington Walls?
In Parker Pearson’s view, Durrington Walls was the land of the living, symbolized by the timbers of Woodhenge, while Stonehenge was the land of the dead. He believes early Britons gathered at Durrington Walls to feast and then proceeded to Stonehenge to honor their ancestors.
What are the theories behind Stonehenge?
According to folklore, Stonehenge was created by Merlin, the wizard of Arthurian legend, who magically transported the massive stones from Ireland, where giants had assembled them. Another legend says invading Danes put the stones up, and another theory says they were the ruins of a Roman temple.
