<< Feature Articles >> The Stonehenge Carvings by Joan Rankin, James Matthews and Lloyd Matthews
Submitted by Lloyd on Wednesday, 28 October 2015 Page Views: 7451
StonehengeCountry: England County: Wiltshire Type: HengeInternal Links:
To build a model of how Stonehenge stands today I also had to include the other distinguishing marks that are on the stones; these included those seen on Trilithons 52 and 59a. Building a model of how Stonehenge originally stood involved thinking how all the various shapes might have looked when first built; this included all the major weathering, crevices etc.
After the model had been completed and on display at Maryhill, I endeavoured to find out what the shapes I had identified meant. The only explanation I was given is they were 'weathering or stone dressing marks', but for the shape on Trilithon 53 common sense told me that this could not be correct.
The Maryhill Museum 'challenged' me to find an answer, and fortunately I met Joan Rankin who had much experience in studying Stonehenge. After two and half years of research we did find some answers and these we have written in our paper.
Unlike other carvings identified at Stonehenge carved into the stone after it was built, these four carvings have been carved 'onto' the stone which means they had to have existed before the Trilithons were erected.
The first 3 carvings are very visible, however we only became aware of the fourth carving on Trilithon 58 as our evidence concluded that there should be one there. When I looked closely at my photographs we do think that this is possible.
Here's a brief summary of the paper:
We show that from Phase I Stonehenge has been used as an observatory and we illustrate how the gaps in the ditch and the four Station Stones were used to determine both equinoxes and solstices, and could divide the year into eight parts.
We suggest that a newly indentified carving on Trilithon 53 proves the Aubrey Holes were a solar and lunar calendar. Three other carvings have also been identified and each one of these four carvings is in alignment to the centre of Stonehenge and a Station Stone.
In conjunction with the solar and lunar calendar the carving on Trilithon 52 marks the end of the lunar year; Trilithon 53 determines when half a solar and lunar year will occur, and the carving on Trilithon 59 and 58 are marking the end of the 32 year solar and 33 year lunar cycles.
Click on each of the images for more details of the proposed carvings.
Stonehenge. - 01 - 'The Eye' Trilithon 52
Stonehenge. - 02 - 'The Dividers' Trilithon 53
Stonehenge. - 03 - 'The Parallels' Trilithon 59
Stonehenge. - 04 - 'The Lost Symbol' Trilithon 58
Close up of the Model Stonehenge 'Ancient and Modern' at Maryhill
Stonehenge. - The Model 'Ancient and Modern' at Maryhill
The full paper can be viewed here:
The Stonehenge Carvings by Joan Rankin, James Matthews and Lloyd Matthews (93 pages - PDF file - approx 5MB) Copies are also on sale at the Maryhill Museum of Art.
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