Jharkhand govt launches country's maiden mining tourism initiative, inks pact with Coal India arm
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Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Study reveals how 5,000-year-old Stonehenge's giant blocks were moved using human hands and primitive tools
A new scientific study has added weight to a long-held belief that the builders of Stonehenge, the iconic 5,000-year-old monument in southern England, transported its massive stones using only human effort and rudimentary tools. By analyzing a mysterious fragment known as the Newall Boulder, archaeologists have dismissed the theory that glaciers carried these stones to the Salisbury Plain during the Ice Age. Instead, they found geochemical and microscopic evidence linking the rocks directly to quarries in the Preseli Hills of Wales, over 200 kilometers away. This supports the argument that Neolithic people, with no access to wheels or metal tools, managed this incredible feat through ingenuity, endurance, and primitive but effective technology. Stonehenge clues hidden in the Newall Boulder The centerpiece of the new findings is a stone fragment unearthed at Stonehenge in 1924 and largely forgotten until recently. Called the Newall Boulder, this bullet-shaped piece was reanalyzed using advanced chemical and microscopic techniques. Researchers found that it shares identical mineral features with rhyolite rock found at Craig Rhos-y-felin in Wales. This connection effectively rules out glacial origin and aligns with the theory that the stone was manually extracted and transported by people. For decades, one camp of archaeologists believed the bluestones arrived at Stonehenge via glaciers during the Ice Age. Proponents like Dr. Brian John cited glacial abrasion marks as evidence. However, the latest study argues that these surface characteristics could easily be the result of weathering. More importantly, there's no supporting evidence of glaciation on Salisbury Plain — no other glacial erratics or deposits have ever been found in the area. This significantly undermines the ice transport theory. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Theories behind why Stonehenge's giant stones were arranged in a circle The circular layout of Stonehenge has puzzled historians and archaeologists for centuries, giving rise to a number of compelling theories. One of the most widely supported ideas is that the monument functioned as an ancient astronomical observatory . Researchers have noted how certain stones align with the rising and setting sun during the summer and winter solstices. This suggests that Stonehenge may have served as a prehistoric calendar, helping early societies track the changing seasons for agricultural or ceremonial purposes. Another leading theory focuses on Stonehenge's role as a sacred or spiritual site. The circular shape, often associated with unity, eternity, and the heavens, may have had symbolic significance to Neolithic communities. Some experts believe the site was used for rituals, burials, or ancestral worship, with the arrangement of the stones reflecting a cosmic order or serving as a portal between the earthly and the divine. While no single theory has been universally proven, the alignment, symmetry, and sheer scale of Stonehenge continue to point toward its importance as a center of cultural and spiritual life in ancient Britain. Human ingenuity and Neolithic engineering The idea that Neolithic people manually moved stones weighing 2 to 3 tonnes across 200 kilometers may sound implausible, but archaeologists say it's entirely feasible. Evidence from other ancient cultures shows that large stones have been transported over great distances using wooden sledges, ropes, rollers, and teamwork. The larger 'sarsen' stones at Stonehenge, some weighing up to 40 tonnes, were also moved into place, further proving that Neolithic communities had the capability to orchestrate such a massive undertaking. Stonehenge remains one of the world's most iconic and enigmatic monuments. Understanding how its stones were transported gives us deeper insight into the lives, beliefs, and capabilities of Neolithic people. The latest findings strengthen the argument that the monument wasn't the result of natural forces, but a powerful testament to human will and innovation — a message carved in stone across millennia.
Deccan Herald
21-07-2025
- Deccan Herald
Jharkhand govt launches country's maiden mining tourism initiative, inks pact with Coal India arm
The move comes after Soren recently visited the Gava Museum of Mines in Barcelona to see ancient mining techniques and relics from the Neolithic era.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Time of India
5,500-year-old Polish ‘Pyramids' discovered, older than Egypt's Pyramid of Giza
In a groundbreaking archaeological discovery, a set of 5,500-year-old megalithic tombs have been discovered in Poland, nicknamed the "Polish pyramids." They were found during a routine field survey in the Chłapowski Landscape Park in the village of Wyskoć, reports add. These monumental earth structures, reportedly, date back to the late Stone Age and shed new light on the prehistoric Funnelbeaker culture that once thrived in the region. As per the reports, a team from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and announced by the Complex of Landscape Parks of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. The tombs are located in the Wielkopolska province and are some of the largest megalithic structures ever found in Poland. Remarkably well-preserved, they are believed to have been built by one of the region's earliest sedentary agricultural societies. Megalithic giants of the North The tombs, also referred to as "the beds of giants", are elongated trapezoidal mounds reaching up to 200 m in length and about 4 m in height. Constructed in a triangular shape, the front of each structure is several metres wide and gradually narrows into a 'tail' at the rear. Some of the boulders used in their construction weigh as much as 10 tonnes, an extraordinary feat for Neolithic builders using only primitive tools and manpower. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Read more: No more shoe checks: TSA updates airport screening rules; what flyers need to know The monumental tombs are oriented with impressive precision. The wider front end faces east, while the tail stretches westward, a design suggesting the builders had a sophisticated understanding of direction and possibly astronomy. According to archaeologists, this alignment was likely symbolic, with the rising sun associated with life and the setting sun with death. The Funnelbeaker culture's legacy The structures are attributed to the Funnelbeaker culture (4000–2700 BCE), a Neolithic society known for its large-scale burial architecture, early farming practices, and finely crafted pottery. Though these communities were largely egalitarian, special tombs were reserved for significant figures such as leaders, shamans, or priests. 'Although the Funnelbeaker cultures were quite egalitarian, these tombs likely held important figures — a leader, a priest, a shaman,' said Artur Golis from the regional landscape park association. These burials typically included a single skeleton placed on its back with legs pointing east, accompanied by grave goods. While skeletal remains may not have survived in the newly excavated tombs, archaeologists hope to recover ceremonial objects such as stone axes, hatchets, clay vessels, and possibly copper ornaments or opium containers. This is only the second time such megalithic tombs have been discovered in Wielkopolska — the first being in 2019. Until now, most similar finds were concentrated in the Kuyavia-Pomerania region, where they are professionally known as megalithic tombs of the Kuyavian type. Read more: 6 unmissable stops that make Chandigarh to Shimla hill tour worthwhile The newly discovered sites offer rare insight into the social, religious, and engineering capabilities of Neolithic societies in Europe. Their sheer scale and design not only rival other prehistoric sites like Stonehenge but also predate the Egyptian pyramids. "For thousands of years, people have needed the stones, so they have taken them, split them, hence the object has been quite heavily degraded," Golis said, noting the fragility of what remains. Currently, the site remains closed to the public to allow for careful excavation and preservation. A decision about public access will be made once research and protective measures are completed. These 'Polish pyramids' may not rival Giza in height, but they stand tall as silent sentinels of a lost civilization, offering a powerful connection to humanity's ancient past, right in the heart of Europe.
