STONEHENGE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11700, 8 March 1902, Page 4

STONEHENGE.

" The Sphere" gives an interesting account of two attempts that have been made to determine the age of the wonderful stone circle known as Stonehenge. One of the attempts depended upon astronomical calculations, the theory being that Stonehenge was a temple built and used by sun-worshippers. Certain curious facts have been discovered by astronomers in connection with, the construction of the great circle of stones. For instance, on the longest day in the year, June 21st, the sun° rises exactly over or.e end of the axis or line which divides the circle, and on the shortest day, December 21st, it also appears to set at the other end of the same axis. When the sun was directly in line with this axis it would flash a ray between the narrow space (22 inches) which separates the uprights of the great "trilithon" which stood behind the altar stone. Acting on the solar temple theory of the oriain of Stonehenge. Sir Norman Lockyer, director of the Solar Physics Laboratory at South Kensington, and three other scientists, spent the longest- day of 1901 at " the stones," and- determined the position of the sun at the moment when it snowed above the horizon, at the end of the long earthen avenue which, in spite of its great antiquitv, is still visible for a considerable distance. The observations taken were compared with the position whieh the sun must have occupied in the heavens when the temple was built. The rate of the sun's shift in position at sunrise on the summer solstice being known, it has ben possible to subtract one position fern the other, and calculate by tables how many' years the difference represents. The iiumbef of years was found to be 3581. and this gives'l6Bo 8.C.. as the'date of the building of Stonehenge. Archaeology puts the date even farther back. During some' excavations carried out last year m order to strengthen the foundations or the it has been possible to subtract one position nlements and chips made with them were found in the chalk rubble beneath the top soil. Not a sinsile metal tool was discovered, a fact which suegests that the stones were previous to the bronze age, which in England is believed to have commenced about 2000 B.C. Thus we pet j right back to the neolithic man as the j builder of Stonehenge.