O sítio pré-histórico de Stonehenge, no Reino Unido, poderá ter sido originalmente um cemitério, revelam investigadores britânicos.
Muitas têm sido as teorias sobre as enormes pedras colocadas de forma circular e classificadas como património mundial pela Unesco. Terá sido um calendário astronómico, um observatório, um local onde se fariam sacrifícios humanos, um templo druida de culto ao sol...
Agora, os cientistas vêm dizer que, "na sua primeira fase", Stonehnege foi um enorme cemitério reservado às famílias de elite de então. Quem o diz é o professor Parker Pearson do University College de Londres, depois de dez anos de investigação, liderando uma equipa de cientistas britânicos, noticia a AFP.
A investigação diz que, desde 3000 a.C, que os restos mortais dos mais privilegiados eram enterrados em Stonehenge. "O monumento de origem era circular e foi construído 500 anos antes da Stonehenge que agora conhecemos", informa Pearson em comunicado.
Numa segunda fase, por volta de 2500 a.C., o sítio passou a ter uma função mais de convívio. O que fez a equipa de Pearson chegar a esta conclusão foi o exame aos dentes de mais de 80 mil ossadas de animais encontrados no local, o que prova que o espaço era usado para convívio e celebrações, onde se podia reunir até um décimo da população do país para celebrar o solstício.
Stonehenge era um ponto de encontro, sublinha o universitário. "Descobrimos que vinha gente de todo o país com os seus animais, mesmo da Escócia", revela. E chegavam a Stonehenge não só para celebrar os solstícios – a atracção daquele local estará no facto de existirem dois cumes paralelos, um apontando para o sol no meio do Inverno, e o outro para o nascer do sol no meio do Verão, justifica Pearson –, mas também para participar na construção daquele local, acredita.
A Unesco descreve Stonehenge como a construção mais sofisticada em círculo da pré-história.
It seemed that ancient people travelled to celebrate the winter and summer solstices but also to build the monument, he said. "Stonehenge was a monument that brought ancient Britain together," he said. "What we've found is that people came with their animals to feast at Stonehenge from all corners of Britain—as far afield as Scotland." He said it appeared to be the "only time in prehistory that the people of Britain were unified." Unesco describes Stonehenge as the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world. But archaeologists have long argued about its importance to the people who built it, ranging from a place of astronomy to one of human sacrifice. The researchers said their findings also gave a clue to why the monument stopped being used—another mystery that has baffled archaeologists. The earlier timeline they propose suggests that Stonehenge was built before the arrival of the "Beaker people" who brought with them a less centralised political culture.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-stonehenge-ancient-rave-theory.html#jCp
It seemed that ancient people travelled to celebrate the winter and summer solstices but also to build the monument, he said. "Stonehenge was a monument that brought ancient Britain together," he said. "What we've found is that people came with their animals to feast at Stonehenge from all corners of Britain—as far afield as Scotland." He said it appeared to be the "only time in prehistory that the people of Britain were unified." Unesco describes Stonehenge as the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world. But archaeologists have long argued about its importance to the people who built it, ranging from a place of astronomy to one of human sacrifice. The researchers said their findings also gave a clue to why the monument stopped being used—another mystery that has baffled archaeologists. The earlier timeline they propose suggests that Stonehenge was built before the arrival of the "Beaker people" who brought with them a less centralised political culture.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-stonehenge-ancient-rave-theory.html#jCp
It seemed that ancient people travelled to celebrate the winter and summer solstices but also to build the monument, he said. "Stonehenge was a monument that brought ancient Britain together," he said. "What we've found is that people came with their animals to feast at Stonehenge from all corners of Britain—as far afield as Scotland." He said it appeared to be the "only time in prehistory that the people of Britain were unified." Unesco describes Stonehenge as the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world. But archaeologists have long argued about its importance to the people who built it, ranging from a place of astronomy to one of human sacrifice. The researchers said their findings also gave a clue to why the monument stopped being used—another mystery that has baffled archaeologists. The earlier timeline they propose suggests that Stonehenge was built before the arrival of the "Beaker people" who brought with them a less centralised political culture.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-stonehenge-ancient-rave-theory.html#jCp
