Why can’t archeologists make up their minds about Stonehenge? We get that the place is mysterious, but is it so mysterious that we’re flip-flopping from “healing center” to “crematory”?
That's what the new evidence suggests. Apparently, Stonehenge was a grand cemetery for a powerful ruling family--not a health spa. New evidence indicates that Stonehenge was used as a cremation cemetery throughout its entire history. Recent discoveries also suggest that Stonehenge may be even older than previously thought.
Academics and historians have been guessing at the origins and purposes of Stonehenge for centuries and been the subject of heated debate. Originally it was believed that the tall circle of stones was was erected in 2,600 BC, replacing an earlier wood structure where cremation was carried out. A recent BBC documentary suggested that the standing stones were not erected until 2,300BC, when the site then became a center of healing. But new evidence indicates that the cremations never stopped.
Additionally, the team behind the latest dig believes the stones were actually erected in 3,000 BC. They’re saying that Stonehenge continued to be used for cremation burial throughout its history, and not for healing. The dig known as The Stonehenge Riverside Project includes archeologists from several British universities who have been carrying out excavations for the past five years.
The report asserts: "Contrary to claims made in the recent BBC Timewatch film, which promoted a theory of Stonehenge as a healing centre built after the practice of cremation burial had ceased, standing stones and burial may have been prominent aspects of Stonehenge's meaning and purpose for a millenium."
more:
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/10/oopsstonehenge.html