Stonehenge and Cult Archaeology

Stonehenge, the mysterious structure in England, has been the subject of much controversy and hypotheses. Questions abound as to its origin, age, creator(s) and much, much more. The magnitude and multitude of these questions are the main factor in cult archaeology's adoption of Stonehenge as a source to proliferate beliefs that may seem slightly askew and unconventional. It wasn't until the Dark Ages that Stonehenge started to be appreciated and looked at as more than just a unique pile of rocks. At this time, a mystique centered around Stonehenge and some believed it to be connected to Merlin and King Arthur. While many would like to believe the fantastic explanations and theories put forward by cult archaeologists, pseudo-scientists, and your average crackpot theorist, the fact remains that plausible evidence exists to answer many of these proposed questions about Stonehenge. If one chose to do so, one could also discover some probable explanations about why and how Stonehenge was built.

One can find an abundance of information regarding Stonehenge on http://www.aboutstonehenge.info/, relating to many aspects of the structure. As previously mentioned, Stonehenge is located in England, about two miles west of the town Amesbury in Wiltshire and about ninety miles west of London. Scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was built in three distinct periods. The earliest portion of Stonehenge dates to approximately 2950-2900 BC. The dates for each "period" can be fixed to about 100 years or so with radiocarbon dating, but as to the exact building sequence within each period archaeologists can't be certain. However, it appears as if the first section of Stonehenge was essentially a circular enclosure outlined by two banks and a ditch. The second period consisted of more minor changes and occurred between 2900-2400 BC. Stonehenge's third period was the longest and contained the most changes. In fact, archaeologists disagree on exactly how many sub-phases of change occurred over this period, 2550-1600 BC. The famous stone tablets and designs that one conjures up when thinking of Stonehenge came about over this period. One can view a reenactment of this at http://www.anima.demon.co.uk/stones/stonehen/history.html .

As far as the identity of the true architects, even more assumptions exist. Various myths and legends attribute the work to groups like the Danes, Romans, Saxons, Greeks, Atlanteans, Egyptians, and even aliens. A long held belief was that a group called the Druids built Stonehenge. Many believed that these high priests of the Celts constructed Stonehenge for sacrificial ceremonies. However, through radio carbon dating, researchers have since debunked this theory linking Stonehenge to the Druids. Most academics agree on the theory that three tribes built Stonehenge at three different times. Scientists have dubbed these tribes the Windmill Hill people (a Neolithic agrarian tribe), the Beaker Folk, and the Wessex people, respectively. In terms of a reason for constructing such a structure, it is far more likely that Stonehenge was built to commemorate solar and lunar events, like solstices, than for it to have been erected for sacrificial purposes. Despite these probable explanations, Stonehenge has still fallen into the hands of cult archaeologists. The cult archaeology on Stonehenge is absolutely remarkable. So many people find the site fascinating that an overabundance of text has been produced. These various sources include both accredited sources and people who merely find the creation awe-inspiring. Although there are many sites out there that do in fact contain legitimate information on Stonehenge, there are many more that portray the site in a different light. The site of Stonehenge allows for a closer look at why cult archaeology is prevalent in society today and what purpose it serves.

Why does cult archaeology appeal to the "common man"? There are a few reasons for this. First of all, in general, people find regular science droll. There is a lack of excitement for the normal person when studying science. Cult archaeology changes this because of sites like Stonehenge. Regular science can not explain what produced this rock structure or how these enormous blocks were lifted upon each other, but there are many theories to it. The excitement comes from those people who are not professionals who want to explain cult archaeology with their own other world explanations. For Stonehenge, some people claim that it was created by aliens or even by Merlin himself. The site www.paranormalnews.com will delve into the topic of aliens creating Stonehenge. In addition, it sites all of the crop circles that appear in the area as reinforcing this idea. These explanations are definitely more interesting than a normal rendition of how the people in that time created them. This excitement builds interest for science and various other areas that cult archaeology deals with.

The next major question then is why don't the true academics attempt to quell these various wild theories about the creation and reason for various sites of cult archaeology? Well the first answer that will be heard is that the media or science has no obligation to put out facts from accredited sources. It is difficult to stop everyone with an idea from being heard, and that is part of the world we live in today. The real reason lies in the fact that people are making large quantities of money due to these various wild theories. Stonehenge is an excellent example of this. If one goes to www.cropcircleboardgames.co.uk/ they will have to opportunity to purchase a board game. One of the objectives of the game is to create Stonehenge using clues from cards passed down by aliens. Obviously, this is a ridiculous idea, but there are people out there who will purchase such a game due to these preconceived ideas. In addition to paraphernalia, people can actually plan trips to Stonehenge at www.english-heritage.org/uk/stonehenge/ for a small sum. This trip includes an actual visit to the site with a tour guide who will, no doubt, recite not only the reasonably accurate explanations, but also the unrealistic ones too. The financial gains that can be realized from cult archaeology sites such as Stonehenge are far too great to allow a precise factual truth from ruling this practice.

So, we again see the financial opportunity overshadowing the probable, more feasible explanations. Cult archaeology, at its core, is not necessarily a bad thing. It is fantastical, largely non-scientific, and traditionally obnoxious, but it exists primarily because a market for such a thing exists. Not many care to hear about the true origins of Stonehenge or what it symbolized, if the origins are not enthralling. To learn that extraterrestrials contributed to the construction or that religious sacrifices were held there grabs the attention and will hold it, ideally. Most would hope that traditional scientific methods will prevail in such situations.