Secrets of Stonehenge

It had long been thought that the famous site of Stonehenge served as an ancient calendar, given its alignment with the solstices. Now, research has identified how it may have worked.

New finds about the stone circle’s history, along with analysis of other ancient calendar systems, prompted Bournemouth University prehistorian Professor Timothy Darvill to take a fresh look at Stonehenge. He identified a solar calendar in their layout, suggesting they served as a physical representation of the year that helped the ancient inhabitants of Wiltshire keep track of the days, weeks, and months.

“Finding a solar calendar represented in the architecture of Stonehenge opens up a whole new way of seeing the monument as a place for the living. A place where the timing of ceremonies and festivals was connected to the very fabric of the universe and celestial movements in the heavens.” Professor Timothy Darvill