A new study that explored the meaning behind Stonehenge suggests that its ultimate purpose was as a way to unite people across ancient Britain. The study, which was published December 20th, immediately preceded the winter solstice, when thousands of people flock to the site at Stonehenge to take part in an ancient Celtic tradition.
At the time of publication, the contents of the study were not available; a DOI link provided by University College London was broken as of December 22nd.
A New Study Defines The Motivation Behind The Building Of Stonehenge
The milky way over stonehenge uk
What is the reason Stonehenge was built? Many theories have been put forth over the years, but a recent study published in Archaeology International suggests that the monument was meant as a unifying project for the people of Britain.
Given that many of the stones at Stonehenge originated in Scotland (though they were formerly thought to have been transported from Wales), the new study's declaration that the ancient site aimed at unification doesn't seem so far-fetched.
Other evidence has shown that the stones came from various places, most of them farflung; bluestones traveled a distance of 140 miles from Wales to the site at Stonehenge.
"The fact that all of its stones originated from distant regions, making it unique among over 900 stone circles in Britain, suggests that the stone circle may have had a political as well as a religious purpose - as a monument of unification for the peoples of Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos." -- Lead author Professor Mike Parker Pearson, via UCL
In addition, the BBC points out, many of the people buried at Stonehenge were not from Salisbury Plain. That also suggests that the location was somehow unifying for people from around Britain. Mentions of people coming to the site to feast together support the study's claims that Stonehenge was a place where people gathered.
"Our research is like forensic science. We are a small team of earth scientists, each bringing their own area of expertise; it is this combination of skills that has allowed us to identify the sources of the bluestones, and now the Altar Stone." -- Co-author Professor Richard Bevins, via UCL
The study also suggested that a specific period of contact between different groups of people may have encouraged the second stage of construction at Stonehenge. While the wheel hadn't been invented yet, the sharing of ideas is thought to have made Stonehenge possible and the study surmised this may have unified the different groups of people.
Erecting Stonehenge Was A Team Effort, And May Have Encouraged Unity
The study also posits that moving the blocks took nearly eight months, with hundreds or thousands of people moving them, noted The National, which would have created an attraction all its own. While the idea is that Stonehenge as a physical showcase brought people together, so did the actual construction process.
Stonehenge from the air with barrows visible
The National quoted the researchers as saying, "Travel by land would have provided much better opportunities for spectacle, pageantry, feasting and celebration that would have drawn people in (the) thousands to witness and take part in this extraordinary venture."
Study lead Professor Mike Parker Pearson's research was previously disproven
Though the latest study from Professor Mike Parker Pearson is newly released and does not appear to have elicited disagreement from other researchers, past studies have reportedly been disproven. Parker Pearson previously worked on Stonehenge projects, one of which earned archaeological awards.
However, a proposal -- headed by Parker Pearson -- that suggested that one of the stones from Stonehenge originated at Waun Mawn appeared to be incorrect. A few years after the proposal was made, two articles reportedly proved there was no link between Waun Mawn and Stonehenge, as related by The Narberth & Whitland Observer in March 2024.
References: UCL, BBC, The National, The Narberth & Whitland Observer