Circular thinking: Stonehenge's origin is subject of new theory
by Dalya Alberge from on (#5018)
Wiltshire monument may have been equivalent of 'an ancient Mecca on stilts' according to an idea put forward by former museum director Julian Spalding
Whether it was a Druid temple, an astronomical calendar or a centre for healing, the mystery of Stonehenge has long been a source of speculation and debate. Now a dramatic new theory suggests that the prehistoric monument was in fact "an ancient Mecca on stilts".
The megaliths would not have been used for ceremonies at ground level, but would instead have supported a circular wooden platform on which ceremonies were performed to the rotating heavens, the theory suggests.
