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The 23rd of July 2010 the BBC online news (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10718522)
brought an article, Archaeologists unearth Neolithic henge at Stonehenge
describing the discovery of a circular ditch surrounding a smaller circle of
deep pits each about a metre wide and also informs that the structure has two
entrances on the north-east and south-west sides.
At a first glance at the satellite image (picture 1)
the alignment from Stonehenge towards the new site appeared to me to
be solstitial; pointing towards the point where the sun rises/sets at the solstices
- in this case sunset at summer solstice. Adding an alignment app. 40.5 deg.
north of true west the solstitial alignment evidently passes north of the
structure (picture 2). My misconception is owed to that I am used to analyse
structures of Khmer temples in SE-Asia where the alignment is app. 24.5 deg.
Adding solstitial alignments to the radar picture
(picture 3) was more successful: The alignment from the centre of the 'New
Henge' toward the point of
sunrise at summer solstice passes
through the north-eastern entrance and the alignment from the centre
towards the point of sunset at winter solstice passes through the south-western
entrance (picture 4).
The added cardinal alignments could show that the supposed post holes are
orientated true E-W and N-S.
After adding solstitial alignments to the structure of
Stonehenge (picture 6) it seems evident that there is a conceptual similarity between the two sites indicating similar age.
Now being curious - and still not
finished my morning coffee - I found Stonehenge on Google Earth (N51.17886
W1.82619) and noticed what seems to be trenches or dikes aligned from Stonehenge
towards north-east and adding the solstitial line on Google Earth my curiosity
was rewarded: The line runs mid between the assumed two dikes or trenches which
are clearly observable for 600 m (picture 7); the colours in the fields indicate
a continuation of another 600 m.
Some Google search revealed that the structure is well
described and is called the Stonehenge Avenue. A downloadable PDF document
Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy, by Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)
depicts Stonehenge Avenue to go NE the first 600 m and then turn SE and ending
at the river. The last stretch before the river is not supported by
archaeological findings.
Stonehenge Avenue is most likely a 'processional path' like
we find them at Khmer temples, where they generally are
orientated straight true east towards the point of sunrise at equinox - or at
various north-eastern alignments; except solstice. At Stonehenge the alignment
is solstitial and being orientated SW-NE either focussing at sunrise at summer
solstice or at sunset at winter solstice. If the latter then a procession
entering Stonehenge following the Avenue would see the sun rise passing the
centreline of the structure.
Extending the tentatively suggested 'processional path'
2 other structures were found respectively 3.2 km and 4.2 km away from
Stonehenge (picture 8-10): The hexagonal structure (picture 8) is probably not
ancient; but the shadow of a circle in the fields surrounded by lines parallel
and perpendicular to the solstitial alignment is worth giving an extra look with
radar equipment (picture 9).
Extending Stonehenge Avenue 12 km towards NE the
solstitial alignment passes some 250 m SW of the only hill in that direction:
Sidbury Hill, which is equivalent to more than 2 solar diameters as seen from
Stonehenge - and too much to suspect Sidbury Hill to be a fore-marker of
Stonehenge for solstice determinations (picture 10).
Extending Stonehenge Avenue some 33 km towards SW we
find Melbury Hill. The alignment between Melbury Hill and Sidbury Hill is 45 km
long and passes 50
m SE of the centre of Stonehenge, but the distances between and the tininess of
the hills do not make them clear candidates for being hypothetical
'fore-markers' in relation to theoretical use of Stonehenge as an astronomical
device for calendric determination of the solstices. We have to distinguish
between embedded symbolic astronomical alignments in a given monumental
structure and the structure itself as being an astronomical device.
The discussion of whether solar observations at a given
structure can determine the exact day of solstice is absurd itself: No
structures (including Stonehenge) can have been
used to determine the days of solstices, because the paths of the sun at
solstice is in-distinguishable by the human eye for some
5-7 days around solstice
implicating that the annual festivities at Stonehenge could be extended to
nearly a week.
RAS (Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy)
argues similarly; but continues incorrectly: 'It is
unlikely that prehistoric people knew this exact date'. The use of a gnomon will
within 3 years tell the day of solstice - not on the day itself but for example
a week before.
The BBC article mentions that the
on-going multi-million pound study will be completed within the next 3 years and
that '90% of the landscape around the giant stones was "terra incognita" - an
unexplored region'.
I'll propose to start the research along the solstitial
and cardinal alignments applying satellite radar search and other modern
techniques.
... end of morning coffee ...
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