THE AGE OF STONEHENGE.

Wanganui Chronicle, 13 March 1902, Page 1

THE AGE OF STONEHENGE.

"The Sphere" gives an interesting account of two attempts that have beeß made to determine the age of the wonderful stone circle known as Stoneheuge. One of the attempts depended upon astronomical calculations, the theory being that Stonehenge. was a temple built and used by sun-worship-pers. 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 one end of the axis or line which divides the circle, and on the shortest day, Dec. 21st, it also appears to set at the other un-.l uf the same axis. When the sun was directly in line with this axis it would Hash 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 origin of Stonehenge, Sir Norman Loekyer, 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 showed above the horizon, a.t the end of the long earthern avenue which, in"spite of its great antiquity, is still clearly visible for a considerable distance. The observations taken were compared with, the position which 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 been possible to subtract one position from the other, and calculate by tables how many years the difference represents. The number of years was found to be 3581, and liiis sives 1680 B.C. as the date of the building of Stoneheage. Archaelogy puts the date even farther back.' During some excavations carried oat last year in order to strengthen the foundations of the stone pillars, a number of rough stone implements and chips made witk them were found in the chalk rubble beneath tne *°P so^- •^ot a single metal tool was discovered, a fact which suggests that the stones were previous to the bronze age, which in England is believed to have commenced about 2000 B.C. Thus we get right back to the neolithic man as the builder of Stonehenge.