Stonehenge and Astronomy

Construction of Stonehenge

Stonehenge has 5 constructional stages.

Stage 1: The Late Neolithic (c 2900 BC) (Figure 3)

The circular enclosure has a single ring of bluestones in the Aubrey Holes and timber post arrangements in the interior.

Stage 2: The end of the Late Neolithic (c 2500 BC) (Figure 4)

The stones are placed in the centre of the interior.

Stage 3: The Copper Age (c 2400) (Figure 5)

The avenue is built, and minor changes are made to the stone arrangement.

Stage 4: The Early Bronze Age (c 2100 BC) (Figure 6)

Within the sarsen circle, the bluestones are rearranged.

Stage 5: The Middle Bronze Age (c 1600 BC) (Figure 7) Around the sarsen circle, Y and Z holes are dug, and over 100 axe carvings are made on several of the stones.

The timing of the Great Standing Moon is different from that of the Midsummer Solstice during the rest of the year. However, the most dramatic moon risings in the Great Standing are when the midsummer full moon and moonset coincide, and the midsummer full moon and the northern Great Standing in midwinter.

Conclusion

The theory that Stonehenge was a prehistoric calendar or observatory for predicting solar and lunar eclipses has been made since the 1960s.

The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age landscape at Stonehenge (Figure 1) includes Early Neolithic causewayed enclosures (Larkhill and Robin Hood's Ball), long barrows (black oblongs such as Winterbourne Stoke Crossroads), Middle Neolithic cursuses, Late Neolithic Stonehenge, Coneybury, Bluestonehenge, Durrington Walls (one of the largest henge monuments), Woodhenge and Early Bronze Age round barrows (black circles).

Stonehenge was built in five phases over a period of more than a thousand years, from the Middle Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age, 30001600 BC. It was in Phase 2 that it took the form almost exactly as we see it today, with a megalithic circle built with five sarsen trilithons (pairs of upright stones with lintels) at its centre

References

Astronomical phenomena at Stonehenge

The rising and setting poles of the sun and moon are the most visible astronomical phenomena at Stonehenge. On the longest day of the year, 21-22 June, the sun reaches its most northerly point, rising (north-east) and setting (north-west) The summer solstice occurs when the sun makes the longest arc across the sky It has the shortest arc, rising in the southeast and setting in the south-west on the 21st of December, the mid-winter winter solstice

The movement of the moon is more complex. Like the sun, it regularly reaches a lunar rising and setting polarity (minor lunar standstills), but only once every 18.6 years does it reach a true lunar rising and setting polarity (major lunar standstills). Major moonrise in the Northern Hemisphere is 4° north of summer solstice sunrise, while major moonrise in the Southern Hemisphere is 6° south of winter solstice sunrise. The relationship between major moon rises and summer solstice sunsets is similar.

The astronomical phenomena on the summer and winter solstices are particularly clear and many people visit Stonehenge every year. The prehistoric structure still fascinates people and has an important role as a human heritage linking our ancestors to us in the present day.

Darvill, T., Marshall, P., Pearson, M. P., & Wainwright, G. (2012). Stonehenge remodelled. Antiquity, 86 (334), 1021+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A313795415/AONE?u=duruni&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=16b0eec8

Parker Pearson, M. (2013). Researching Stonehenge: Theories Past and Present. Archaeology International, 16, 72–83. https://doi.org/10.5334/ai.1601

Darvill, T., M. P., Wainwright, (2012). Stonehenge remodelled. (334), Pearson, M. (2013). Theories Archaeology 16, 72–83. https://doi.org/10.5334/ai.1601

Parker Pearson, M. (2019). Stonehenge for the ancestors. Part 1, Landscape and monuments. Sidestone Press.

Pearson, M., Marshall, P., Pollard, J., Richards, C., Welham, K., & Thomas, J. (2013). Stonehenge. In The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199572861.013.0009

Parker Pearson, M., Marshall, P., Pollard, J., Richards, C., Welham, K., & Thomas, J. (2013). Stonehenge. In The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199572861.013.0009

Parker Pearson, M., Pollard, J., Richards, C., Thomas, J., Tirrey, C., & Welham, K. (2019). Stonehenge for the ancestors. Part 1, Landscape and monuments. Sidestone Press.

Souden, D. (1997). Stonehenge : mysteries of the stones and landscape. Collins & Brown.

Parker Pearson, M., Richards, C., Pollard, J., Thomas, J., Welham, K., Dunn, P., Stanford, A., & Luis, I. de. (2015). Stonehenge : making sense of a prehistoric mystery. Council for British Archaeology. Souden, D. (1997). Stonehenge : mysteries of the stones and landscape. Collins & Brown.