'Breakthrough' at Stonehenge dig

April 9, 2008

"Archaeologists carrying out an excavation at Stonehenge say they have broken through to a layer that may finally explain why the site was built.

The team has reached sockets that once held bluestones - smaller stones, most now missing or uprooted, which formed the site's original structure.

The researchers believe that the bluestones could reveal that Stonehenge was once a place of healing..."

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7337292.stm)

Christie Anna says: So, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to, well, a lot of things, but especially ancient history. As such, I naturally find Stonehenge absolutely fascinating. A small group - funded by the BBC - started a dig about a week ago (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7322134.stm), and apparently have been finding some very interesting things since then. (I'm a bit skeptical about it being that big a 'breakthrough' after only a week, but who knows - they certainly seem to be making progress, and I'm willing to keep watching). This is the first dig on the site in some forty years. I think it's marvelous; on the one hand, the mystery of Stonehenge is half the magic of the place, but on the other, I would love to know more solid information about its history. I feel like every time I hear something new about Stonehenge, it's more convincing of just how awesome a feat its construction was.
I'd recommend the videos that are shown on the article page; they're all under three minutes, which is nice for any of you who have as short an attention span as me. They give some nice background information and explanation of what's going on. Besides, one of them throws out a "the Romans picnicked and littered here" theory, which just amuses me with its triviality (and that I find fascinating anyway - told you I'm a nerd). All in all, it's a story I think is definitely worth keeping an eye on; I don't think it gets much better than filling in gaps in history. The BBC will be airing a televised account of the dig sometime this fall.