New excavations are currently ongoing. Previously undug areas of the site are revealing intriguing new information.
Stonehenge is being excavated for the first time since 1964 by a team of British archaeologists. The dig covers some ‘old ground’, re visiting areas of the site previously excavated in the ‘60s ad the 1920s. However, it’s also excavating previously untouched areas of the site in an attempt to discover more about this iconic henge monument.
The finds have been fascinating. Highlights for me from the ‘virgin’ trenches include a hammer stone of non local material found with fragments of smashed up bluestones Does this imply that the builders of certain phases of the monument were incomers too? It’s an intriguing idea and entirely possible although proving it is another matter.
Then there is the evidence of the sites continued use beyond the Neolithic into the historic era. Previously undiscovered bluestone sockets have been found to been carved into the bedrock during the 4th c AD. How do they know the date? Well a coin depicting the emperor Constantine was found in the socket. This raises all sort s of interesting questions about the continued use of pre historic sites.
It's the last day of the dig today.
