Excavations at Stonehenge May Answer Questions

Smivs writes "The BBC are getting set to fund a dig at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. The two-week dig will try to establish, once and for all, some precise dating for the creation of the monument. An article from the BBC news website explains how the dig will investigate the significance of the smaller bluestones that stand inside the giant sarsen pillars. 'Researchers believe these rocks, brought all the way from Wales, hold the secret to the real purpose of Stonehenge as a place of healing. The researchers leading the project are two of the UK's leading Stonehenge experts — Professor Tim Darvill, of the University of Bournemouth, and Professor Geoff Wainwright, of the Society of Antiquaries. They are convinced that the dominating feature on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire was akin to a "Neolithic Lourdes" — a place where people went on a pilgrimage to get cured. Modern techniques have established that many of these people had clearly traveled huge distances to get to south-west England, suggesting they were seeking supernatural help for their ills.'"

It would be cool....

[cayenne8]

It would be cool if the BBC could get Spinal Tap to do the soundtrack for the program!!!

Loudmouthed drunk British morons

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Things done by loudmouthed drunk British morons:

Crop circles: check
Football hooligans: check
Blue Woads: check

Stonehenge: ???

Occam's razor, people.

Re:Loudmouthed drunk British morons

[QuantumG]

So what you're saying is that Stonehenge is the British equivalent of the US space program?

Re:An alternate interpretation

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Pardon me, but I'm skeptical when I hear all of the sweetness and light interpretations. How about something more bloodthirsty, but just as reasonable?

Why are you skeptical? It's pretty well-known that primitive tribes were peace-loving herbivores who lived in harmony with Nature. It wasn't until the white man came and introduced war and slavery that these tribes came to know such things.

They're going to find the plans

[Anonymous Coward]

Drawn on an ancient napkin...

How Many Date Nuts in a Bowl?

[Prius]

I didn't know you could actually get the 'exact date' it was built. I bet they built it on a thursday. Not monday, because nobody wants to do any serious work after the weekend. I know I don't. Not tuesday because that's Take Your Kid to Work day, so they can only make little Stonehenges. Maybe Woodhenges. Then they spend all wednesday cleaning up after the kids and deciding never to do that again (even though they always have another one). On friday, everyone leaves early so they can't get yelled at all weekend by their bosses and clubbed to death. And nobody works on Saturday and Sunday. Only crazy people. That just leaves thursday because they eventually get guilty about not doing any work and decide to do something.

Re:It would be cool....

[xPsi]

Indeed, now we can get finally down to the business of figuring out "who they were" and "what they were doing." Not to mention important followup questions like: "where are they now, the little people of Stonehenge? And what would they say if we were here tonight?"

over time

[evwah]

isn't this a bit simplistic? I imagine that over the thousands of years, it was used for many purposes, built, rebuilt, rearranged, burned down, fell over, THEN sank into the swamp. wait where was I?

Re:An alternate interpretation

[jd]

That would just answer part of the who.

I think that was Pete Townshend.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[phallstrom]

2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root

Re:It would be cool....

[jd]

If our ancient ancestors were alive today, I think the biggest thing on their minds would be "why is it so dark in here?" (with apologies to Terry Pratchett)

Re:An alternate interpretation

[Chuck Chunder]

Advanced medical technology? Magic? These don't seem to go together...

That's when the time travel comes in.

Or perhaps vampires.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[Anonymous Coward]

2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root

I don't know, he's all slimy and smelly, but if you think it will work, I'll club and eat the root admin tomorrow. Wouldn't be the first time.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[zippthorne]

It wasn't until the white man came and introduced war and slavery that these tribes came to know such things.

Till.. the white man.. came.. to England..

Heh. Clever what you did there.

Re:It would be cool....

[zippthorne]

Indeed. Although Pratchett wasn't the first to make that joke.

But more in the spirit of today, we should, as a society, build a <really big monument> as mysterious and long-lasting as possible, just to jerk around our long-off descendants.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[Crunchie Frog]

Yeah you must be right, I am sure the researchers have no idea what their talking about and came up with their ideas whilst throwing back beers at the pub in Amesbury.

Ah, I see we have met the same archaeologists.

Re:They're going to find the plans

[dkleinsc]

Except that they'll find that the original plans called for stones 36" tall rather than 36'.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[Malevolent Tester]

Justice for the Beaker People! Send the Celts back where they came from.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[CheeseTroll]

If you eat the root admin, do you absorb his magic admin rights?

Re:How Many Date Nuts in a Bowl?

[geminidomino]

Of course there was no wood left. Woodhenge suffered the same fate as Strawhenge. Big bad wolf blew them down and three little piggies were relocated into the projects.

(How this story lasted this long without an Eddie Izzard reference is beyond me)

crackpot guide

[Anonymous Coward]

I went to Stonehenge. The tour guide was a crackpot. He tried to tell us about the magical powers of dowsing he had. I think the mystical energy of the henge fried his brain.

Re:An alternate interpretation

[Spleen]

As root admin I've been anticipating this day. I have been soaking my liver in a nice rum marinade nightly to prepare. Enjoy.