Archaeologists begin historic Stonehenge dig

By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:38pm BST 31/03/2008

Archaeologists began a historic dig on Monday which they hope will unlock the ancient secrets of Stonehenge once and for all.

The researchers started digging a trench to examine the first stones erected at the site – the first excavation at the monument to be given the go-ahead for 44 years.

Samples recovered from the pit will provide material that could allow the team to date the start of work on the landmark to within 10 years.

Those leading the two-week dig believe it will provide evidence to back their belief that Stonehenge was the Lourdes of its day - a source of healing to which diseased and injured ancient Britons flocked seeking cures for their ailments.

Prof Tim Darvill, of the University of Bournemouth, said: "It is an incredibly exciting moment and a great privilege to be able to excavate inside Stonehenge.

"This excavation is the first opportunity in nearly half a century to bring the power of modern scientific archaeology to bear on a problem that has taxed the minds of travellers, antiquaries, and archaeologists since medieval times - just why were the bluestones so important and powerful to have warranted our ancestors to make the gargantuan journey to bring them to Salisbury Plain?"

Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, was built in different stages between 3000BC and 1600BC, and a wide variety of theories about their meaning and function have been proposed. These days it is associated with druidism, paganism and New Age philosophy.

Some have suggested the monument, famous for its orientation in relation to the rising and setting sun, was a temple used to worship ancient earth deities. Others believe it to be a sacred burial place, a site where people honoured the dead or even a prehistoric astronomical observatory.

Full story, source: The Telegraph

good post i can't wait to see what/if they find!

they better not break anything though, i'm planning to go there within the next year! lol

I would love to see them find something that could give some answers about the place.

I guess it would be too much to hope for to find a set of blueprints and a commemorative plaque.


EDIT* My comment was meant to be facetious, but it just occurred to me that ancient people often commemorated special events with carvings and paintings.

What are the chances that the builders of Stonehenge left behind a record of their accomplishment?

A303 / A344 / A360 Stonehenge Improvement Programme

There are Three (3) Tunnels to dig (The Pagan, The Druid, and The Wiccan) and an Airman's Corner Stonehenge Visitor Centre to build by the 2012 Olympics.

Airman's Corner, Stonehenge - Google Maps

Stonehenge Three (3) Tunnels' Names:
A303 Stonehenge Tunnel Name - The Pagan Tunnel
A344 Stonehenge Tunnel Name - The Druid Tunnel
A360 Stonehenge Tunnel Name - The Wiccan Tunnel

Stonehenge Three (3) Tunnels' Lengths:
The Pagan at Stonehenge - 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles)
The Druid at Stonehenge - 3.0 kilometres (1.9 miles)
The Wiccan at Stonehenge - 1.5 kilometres (1.0 miles)

Stonehenge Visitors' Centre Name:
Airman's Corner Stonehenge Visitor Centre

National Trust's going to Avenue Banks to withdraw Construction Funds from Heel Stone Vault for these Three (3) Tunnels and New Visitors' Centre next.

New dig probes Wiltshire's Stonehenge mystery (from This Is Wiltshire)

Heelstone dig Next:

Garry Denke - Stonehenge
Heel Stone Refraction Seismic
Denoco Inc. - Stonehenge
Heelstone Refraction Seismic

Now that Timothy Darvill, Archaeologist and Geoffrey Wainwright, Archaeologist have confirmed Stonehenge broadly mirrors South Wales geology as proposed by Garry Denke, Geologist in the '70s, here are more geological, paleontological, and geophysical papers from their reading list.

1) Denke, G.W. 1973. Stonehenge Phase I: An Openpit Coalfield Model; The First Geologic Mining School. (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) GDG, 73: 1-56.
2) Denke, G.W. 1975. Invertibrate Paleontology of the High Tor Limestone (Lower Carboniferous) and the Upper Senonian Chalk (Late Cretaceous) of Stonehenge. (Arizona State University) GDG, 75: 1-7.
3) Denke, G.W. 1977. Possible Source Areas of the High Tor Limestone (Early Mississippian) Fill of the Aubrey Holes and Heel Stone Ditch in Europe. (Arizona State University) GDG, 77: 1-24.
4) Beus, S.S. 1984. Fossil Associations in the High Tor Limestone (Lower Carboniferous) of South Wales. (Northern Arizona University) Journal of Paleontology, 58: 3; 651-667.
5) Denke, G.W. 1984. Mid-Dinantian (Waulsortian Facies) High Tor Limestone: The First Stones Transported to Stonehenge from the South Wales Coast. (Arizona State University) GDG, 84: 1-4.
6) Denke, G. 1984. Magnetic and Electromagnetic Surveys at Heelstone, Stonehenge, United Kingdom. (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) GDG, 84: 5-42.
7) Lees, A. and Miller, J. 1985. Facies variatian in Waulsortian buildups, Part 2; Mid-Dinantian buildups from Europe and North America. (Revised) Geological Journal, 20: 159-180.
8) Geologist, Denke, G. 1986. The Paleontology of Stonehenge, England. (Arizona State University) GDG, 86: 1-3. (State of Texas, County of Stonewall, Book 393, Pages 848-853)

http://www.archaeology.co.uk/index.php?opt...2&Itemid=26

Archaeology is a fascinating subject. Enjoy.

I am pretty sure we all want to know more about the people who started it.
Geology like southern Wales? Is that a clue I wonder?

The Ancient Mines Coal

You just cannot beat the Ancient way of mining coal in 800,000 BC - 100,000 BC, living in a virgin coal seam is definitely a lot of work. The Ancient ignited the surface coal seam and mined all night long, while asleep. Warm and cozy by the fire, the Ancient surface coal mined itself. Yes indeed the Ancient coal mining operations were very time consuming. The Ancient hunted for food all day long, just to return to a hot continuous fire, as the coal mines. Well go ahead and yawn home builder, while sleeping, the Ancient coal mines a home heated cave.

NW to SE

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Salisbury Plain

Fields Map

Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Prospect Area

Geology Map

800,000 BC Coalfield -> 800,000 BC Coalfield -> 100,000 BC Coalfield -> Stonehenge

Stonehenge Coal Trend

Denke is saying that Ancient Britain's oldest 3 coalfields are spaced 40 miles apart, from NW to SE; first Pembrokeshire, second South Wales, third Bristol. The first (anthracite) and second (bituminous) were discovered by Homo erectus 800 kya, the third (bituminous) by Neanderthal 100 kya; Denke's hand-axes, coal cinders and fly-ashes dated. Later, after the extinction of Homo erectus and Neanderthal, the Homo sapiens explored Salisbury Plain for coal; first 10 kya (carpark tests), then 5 kya (henge ditches). Denke is saying these oldest 3 coalfields of Ancient Britain being aligned and spaced 40 miles apart is what caused Salisbury Plain coal exploration. Why? Because that area is 40 miles SE of Bristol in the surface coal trend. The Ancient observation of that NW to SE trend direction and equally spaced distance caused Woodhenge, Durrington Walls, Stonehenge, Avebury, etc spudding 5 kya by Homo sapiens in search of a fourth coalfield. After a persistent effort none of these test ditches yielded any coal, and according to Denke, they discovered the reason why. The "white stone" fossils encircling (coal bearing limestone) the oldest 3 coal fields were different than the "white stone" fossils in Salisbury Plain (non-coal bearing chalk). Denke is saying that tons of this encircled limestone from the oldest 3 coalfields were brought to Stonehenge for schooling Ancient Britain holdout wildcatters. Stonehenge was chosen as the school's site because it was unoccupied by Homo sapiens and an athletic field was already there. Later, 'higher education' rocks from around Ancient Britain's first and second coalfields, Pembrokeshire and South Wales, were brought as geology class exhibits for holdout extremists. Parents and teachers honoured Ancient Welsh coal miners on Saturdays, student football and athletics played on Sundays. Personally, my thought on this is that Denke was definitely insane, for as everybody knows, a school never has an athletic field. [Doctor Garry Whilhelm Denke (1622-1699) Diary (Summer, 1656) -descendant interpretation-]

Three (3) Coal Fields

Ancient Britain's oldest 3 coalfields' surface 40 miles apart; from NW to SE -> Pembrokeshire -> 40 miles -> South Wales -> 40 miles -> Bristol -> 40 miles -> Salisbury Plain -> where coal should have been present. The Ancient preferred using the 3 coalfields' fuel between the Ice Ages, and the Ancient survived because of the 3 coalfields' fuel during the Ice Ages.

Three (3) Test Holes

Salisbury Plain Prospect Area was first tested in 8,000 BC by Homo sapiens spudding 3 coal exploratory holes 40 miles SE of the Neanderthal Bristol Coalfield. They found no coal in the top layer "white stone", and they found no coal in the formation "white stone". 3 Pine Timbers from the 3 acidic soil NW coalfields were set in the 3 coal duster holes, bust marked.

...they rotted...

Coal exploration for Ancient Britain's preferred fuel in Salisbury Plain re-emerged around 5,000 years later, after 3 coal prospect bust holes' 3 pine timbers from the 3 surface coalfields had rotted. Homo sapiens sapiens re-surveyed -> Pembrokeshire -> 40 miles -> South Wales -> 40 miles -> Bristol -> 40 miles -> Salisbury Plain -> where coal was predicted to be.

Explored, Explored, Explored, Explored, etc

...they stoned...

Paleolithic 800,000-year-old Acheulian hand-axes from Homo erectus' opencast Pembrokeshire Coalfield anthracite coal cinders and South Wales Coalfield bituminous bottom ashes indicate pre-Neanderthal coal mining.

Homo erectus burnt 800,000-year-old Crosskeys Coal fly-ashes sampled from a Pontycymer Class C - Class F bituminous South Wales Coalfield mined Paleolithic cave dated 700,000 years previous to 100,000 years BC.

The German historian, antiquarian, and dentist, Doctor Garry Whilhelm Denke (1622-1699), recovered the 800,000-year-old Acheulian hand-axes and sampled the 800,000-year-old Crosskeys Coal fly-ashes in 1656.

Neanderthal followed NW to SE anthracite Pembrokeshire Coalfield - bituminous South Wales Coalfield trend to Paleolithic bituminous Bristol Coalfield discovery causing Homo sapiens' Mesolithic dug carpark 3 coal dusters.

Rest simple History, under the Heelstone.

Survived the Ice Ages,

Garry Denke

I would Say the Records are Q / R holes.

Bluestone Sockets 'dumb-bell' - Glacial erratic Source area Map

South Wales Coalfield Double Bluestone Horseshoe - Fold in Half

Actually the Ancient coal Miners did.

Garry Denke

Seventh Theory of Stonehenge First
Burnt bones hint at Stonehenge story

Stonehenge, et al. Coal dusters. 21st June 1656

Avebury coal duster, Cursus coal duster, Durrington Walls coal duster, Long Barrow coal duster, Robin Hood's Ball coal duster, Stonehenge coal duster, Woodhenge coal duster, etc, all being originally simple coal hunting failures. Every one of them were coal exploration sites that did not yield any coal.

Take away all of the dressed up cemetery headstone rocks and what have you got? Nothing more than a bunch of coal exploratory ditches and holes, that is what. Afterwards, these ditches and holes were utilised as grave plots, for tired disappointed coal explorers, and their cold disheartened families.

Sad but true.

Anthracite and Bituminous burnt 3000 BC bones

In 1973 the Indiana University of Pennsylvania ("IUP") Indians GS 131 geochemical lab detected sulfur in Dr. Garry Denke (1622-1699) core samples from the '56 Aubrey Holes which circle Stonehenge centre.

IUP Indians 1973 quantitative '56 Aubrey Holes geochemical analysis verified this high sulfur content from anthracite and bituminous burnt 3000 BC bones in Dr. Garry Denke (1622-1699) '56 Aubrey Holes cores.

Indians confirmed by Sun Devils and Sun Angels

In 1974 the Arizona State University ("ASU") Sun Devils CH 113 chemical lab and Sun Angels GL 323 mineralogical lab confirmed the 1973 IUP Indians GS 131 geochemical lab anthracite and bituminous '56 findings.

Anthracite and bituminous Stonehenge coals were first discovered by Dr. Garry Denke (1622-1699), IUP Indians, ASU Sun Devils, and ASU Sun Angels (1656-1974), in USA laboratories first detecting sulphur (S,16).

Stonehenge cremation fuel: Westphalian carbon

Pennsylvanian (Late Carboniferous) coal and Mississippian (Early Carboniferous) lime in Dr. Garry Denke (1622-1699) Aubrey Holes of '56 were first verfied in 1973, and first confirmed in 1974, by USA laboratories.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Arizona State University

G-d

Wow. Garry thats just sad to have to hijack someone thread to spout that BS of yours.

Stonehenge Sulfer

Leave these stones their eternal secrets
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/01/heritage

Robin McKie's article is (was) right on target. Now that the mystery of Stonehenge is gone, and all the mysteries of its associate sites are gone, Wiltshire County's tourist industry is ruined. Thanks a lot Mr. & Ms. Scientist, why couldn't you have left these stones their eternal secrets. Now there is no tourist industry here on the Plain, it's just a brimstone cremated Coal duster. Well thank God those seven artifacts are under Heelstone says Wiltshire County's tourist industry, because without them, how would any of us survive? Yes thank God that they are there.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/user/?u=3440

Tunnels Funds

Then why are you, Plain, then why are you.

G-d

You hit the nail on the head Plainbob. GD is so full of it. Researching his personal claims and you come up with .... zip!!!

75086

Yes, after the Ancient coal prospect was dug and found being a duster, Stonehenge uses blossomed into many. Very, very, very many. So many uses in fact, that after the Ancient Ice Ages' survival fuel wasn't found there, that I make no attempt to list any of them; Save and Except the Ancient favourite; "STONEHENGE: A Football Stadium". Why? Because as James Hutton and John Playfair have said, and as Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology (1830) summarised;

"The present is the key to the past."

http://www.slcentral.com/boards/anything-c...ll-stadium.html

G-d

Erm have you actually seen stonehenge ? how any one could play the beautiful game within the enclosed space is beyond me even so the earliest recorded games of football werent even played in stadiums but were mass inter town games where practically anything was allowed to get the ball in to the teams respective town centre. Also someone reffering to themselves as Dr. and then continues to post obscure and baffling information is beyond me, could you be so kind as to actually mention what it is you are referring to.

Yes;

Cave Coal: 800,000 BC; Hand Axes
Camp Fuel: Dates through Ice Ages

---> NW to SE --->

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Salisbury Plain

http://www.durhamrecordsonline.com/literat...lds-british.gif

Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Prospect Area

http://www.geology.19thcenturyscience.org/.../GeoMap-400.jpg

800,000 BC Coalfield -> 800,000 BC Coalfield -> 100,000 BC Coalfield -> Stonehenge

---> dusters in white --->

http://www.coalpro.co.uk/images/coalmap.jpg

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Avebury duster

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Cursus duster

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Durrington Walls duster

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Long Barrow duster

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Robin Hood's Ball duster

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Stonehenge duster

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Woodhenge duster

http://www.coalpro.co.uk/images/coalmap.jpg

---> dusters in white --->

800,000 BC Coalfield -> 800,000 BC Coalfield -> 100,000 BC Coalfield -> Stonehenge

http://www.geology.19thcenturyscience.org/.../GeoMap-400.jpg

Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Coalfield -> 40 miles -> Prospect Area

http://www.durhamrecordsonline.com/literat...lds-british.gif

Pembrokeshire Coalfield -> South Wales Coalfield -> Bristol Coalfield -> Salisbury Plain

---> NW to SE --->

Camp Fuel: Dates through Ice Ages
Cave Coal: 800,000 BC; Hand Axes

You?

Yes, i have.

The '56 holes Circling 'round Stonehenge cave Coal shoring Material;

7 Questions:

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 1
Why did the Ancient dig and fill '56 cave chimney vent holes with Carboniferous Limestone?

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 2
Why did the Ancient then remove '56 cave chimney vent holes' Carboniferous Limestone?

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 3
Why did the Ancient burn anthracite Coal in the bottom of all '56 cave chimney vent holes?

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 4
Why did the Ancient burn bituminous Coal in the bottom of all '56 cave chimney vent holes?

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 5
Why did the Ancient cremate ancient Dead in the bottom of all '56 cave chimney vent holes?

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 6
Why did the Ancient cremate such Dead with anthracite Coal in all '56 of the Aubrey Holes?

Dr. Garry Denke - John Aubrey - Lt.-Col. William Hawley - Robert Newall - Question No. 7
Why did the Ancient cremate such Dead with bituminous Coal in all '56 of the Aubrey Holes?

Thanks alot.

Ancient

7 Questions:


Ritual purposes perhaps ? i cant think of anything other than Carboniferous Limestone's permeability for it to have been specially chosen. As you are most likely aware it is one of the 3 most common types of Limestone in Britain.



Over time rituals and conceptions change, perhaps the original purpose or need of the Limestone had been exceeded or was just no longer needed.



Well Anthracite Coal's characterisitc when burnt is to give of a smokeless blue flame. I think this may well speak for itself.



Not sure as to this, it is poorer quality then the Anthracite.



Well going by the recent study into Stonehenge i think its been estbalished that it may well have been a long term cematery. Also cremation was the main form of Pagan funeral ritual.



Again antracites characteristics of being smokeless and giving of a blue flame. Maybe this tied in with their Ritual aspects.



Perhaps it was a class or caste system, the higher the status of the Dead then the use of coal to cremate them with. I have given these answers only as speculations towards these questions and not to state/prove any point.



Your welcome.

Stonehenge Sulphur (Brimstone) Coal

Pembrokeshire metamorphic anthracite burned inside Stonehenge '56
cave chimney vent holes 5,000 years ago (3000 BC) is from... Ya...
The Healing Stones... Carn Meini... Amroth... Pembrokeshire.

One month it's Healing.
One month it's Death.
One month it's Coal.

Cardigan to Amroth is 30 miles (48 km) via A478,
Further through creek beds.
30 miles S of Seven Sisters is in Bristol Channel,
Irish Sea Glacier no help.

Aubrey Holes' Phosphorus and Brimstone

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7529895
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=pembrokeshire
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garrydenke/979647239

1. secnereffid suorefinobrac / suoecaterc hcaet
2. secnereffid suorefinobrac / suoecaterc thguat
3. nrub 'emalf enots eulb' a rof laoc eticarhtna
4. tnetnoc ruflus dna surohpsohp rof suonimutib
5. syenmihc evac fo mottob ta devil srotsecna
6. loac edarg hgih /w tnrub srotsecna edarg hgih
7. loac edarg wol /w tnrub srotsecna edarg wol

Anthracite
blue stone
blue flame
blue coal

Little Haven-Amroth Coalfield
Pembrokeshire Coalfield
Carbon content 96%
Ancient source

G-d