The dig is over and the finds are off for analysis. But archaeologists already have new insights into the famous megalith's purpose and development.
Well the excavations are over and now the analysis begins. It seems that archaeologists are hoping not only to establish the exact date that the bluestones were erected but also how the site was used after its prehistoric abandonment.
Carbon datable material from the site is now undergoing analysis. The aim is to establish whether animal bones on the site are just evidence of discarded rubbish or if they are evidence of ritual activity. Soil samples will be used to help identify what Neolithic flora and fauna was present to help establish environmental conditions during the various stages of the megalith’s development whilst it is hoped that carbon dating will help establish more conclusively the various construction dates.
Without waiting for the results, it seems that evidence has been found to suggest the bluestones were moved more frequently than previously supposed. Examinations of the sockets have revealed constant re-cutting through and into each other, suggesting the site was in a constant state of transition rather than being construction being in fixed phases
What’s more, there is evidence to support the healing stones theory. Fragments of chipped bluestones in the virgin excavation area were quite intense, leading the archaeologists to deduce that people were hacking off fragments to take away with them. This seems to have happened well into the Roman period suggesting the meaning of Stonehenge continued long after its construction ceased.
