Stonehenge Served as an Ancient Solar Calendar: New Analysis
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Stonehenge served as an ancient solar calendar: New analysis:
New finds about the stone circle's history, along with analysis of other ancient calendar systems, prompted professor Timothy Darvill to take a fresh look at Stonehenge. His analysis, published in the journal Antiquity, concluded that the site was designed as a solar calendar.
[...] Crucially, recent research had shown that Stonehenge's sarsens were added during the same phase of construction around 2500 BC. They were sourced from the same area and subsequently remained in the same formation. This indicates they worked as a single unit.
As such, Darvill analyzed these stones, examining their numerology and comparing them to other known calendars from this period. 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.
"The proposed calendar works in a very straightforward way. Each of the 30 stones in the sarsen circle represents a day within a month, itself divided into three weeks each of 10 days," said Darvill, noting that distinctive stones in the circle mark the start of each week.
Additionally, an intercalary month of five days and a leap day every four years were needed to match the solar year. "The intercalary month, probably dedicated to the deities of the site, is represented by the five trilithons in the center of the site," said Darvill. "The four Station Stones outside the Sarsen Circle provide markers to notch-up until a leap day."
As such, the winter and summer solstices would be framed by the same pairs of stones every year. One of the trilithons also frames the winter solstice, indicating it may have been the new year. This solstitial alignment also helps calibrate the calendar-any errors in counting the days would be easily detectable as the sun would be in the wrong place on the solstices.
Journal Reference:
Timothy Darvill. Keeping time at Stonehenge | Antiquity | Cambridge Core [open], Antiquity (DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2022.5)
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