Seahenge facts for kids
Seahenge, also called Holme I, is a very old monument from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. It was found near the village of Holme-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, England. Seahenge is a circle made of wood, with a large tree stump placed upside down in the middle. Experts believe it was built around 2049 BC, during the early Bronze Age in Britain. People think it was used for special ceremonies or rituals.
The monument had an outer ring of fifty-five small oak logs. These logs formed a circle about 7 by 6 meters wide. Instead of being put into separate holes, the logs were placed in a circular trench. The flat, split side of the wood faced inwards, and the bark side faced outwards. One log had a narrow Y-shape, which might have been an entrance to the middle. Another post was placed outside this entrance, possibly to block the view inside. The logs were buried about 1 meter deep. We don't know how tall they were originally. In the very center of the circle was a large oak tree stump, turned upside down.
Even though local people knew about this structure for many years, the name "Seahenge" was given by the news in 1998. They named it after the famous Stonehenge monument. This made Seahenge very popular, and many news stories were written about it. However, some people protested against digging it up. Locals wanted it to stay on the beach as a tourist spot. Also, some people with certain religious beliefs felt that moving the structure was disrespectful to its original builders.
Contents
How Seahenge Was Built
Seahenge was built during the Early Bronze Age. This was a time when people in Britain started to farm more and live in one place. The people who built Seahenge used at least fifty different bronze axes. These tools helped them shape the wood. Archaeologists believe that bronze tools were still quite new and rare in Britain at that time.
Scientists have studied the wood from Seahenge. They found that all the trees used were cut down in the same year: 2049 BC. The wood also showed that the trees were cut in the spring or early summer. This means that building the circle was a single big event. A lot of hard work was needed to cut, move, prepare, and set up the timbers. It was likely a job for many people, maybe a whole community or a large family working together.
Seahenge was first built on a salt marsh, which is a type of wet, salty land. Over many centuries, the area changed into a freshwater wetland. This happened because a natural barrier grew offshore, stopping sea water from reaching the circle. This allowed alder trees to grow, which created a layer of peat (decayed plant material) over the mud. Later, sea levels rose, and the sea moved forward. Eventually, sand covered the peat. Because of these changes, Seahenge, which was once inland, ended up on the beach. It was uncovered in the late 1990s as the sand and peat wore away, about four thousand years after it was built.
What Was Its Purpose?
Researchers don't know exactly what Seahenge was used for after it was built. Its purpose is still a mystery. However, pottery from later Bronze Age times was found at the site. This suggests that the place became important again centuries after it was made.
Some ideas about Seahenge focus on the idea of things being "upside down." This is seen in the central tree stump, which is inverted. Also, one post in the circle was turned differently from the others. This "inversion" idea has been seen in some other Bronze Age burial sites. Not all the split posts have been found. Some people think another structure might have been built nearby using the missing pieces.
Seahenge is named after Stonehenge, but it is not a "henge" itself. A henge is a specific type of ancient monument. Seahenge also doesn't seem to have been used in the same way as Stonehenge. The original ground where Seahenge stood has been washed away. This means we don't have other clues from that time. One idea is that Seahenge was a place where bodies were prepared for burial, rather than a henge. Some have even suggested it was a "Sky Burial" site, like those found in Tibet. However, there is no direct proof for this idea.
Discovery and Preservation
In the spring of 1998, a man named John Lorimer was looking for shrimps on Holme beach. He found a Bronze Age axe head in the mud. He kept visiting the area and later found a lone tree stump that looked like it was upside down. A friend with a metal detector realized the site was important. They contacted the Castle Museum in Norwich. Archaeologists at the museum looked at the axe head. John Lorimer kept watching the upside-down tree stump. Over time, waves slowly uncovered a ring of wooden posts around it. This showed that it was a human-made structure. Lorimer contacted the museum again.
The museum then contacted Edwin Rose from Norfolk Landscape Archaeology. He visited the site with Lorimer in August 1998. At first, Rose thought it might be an old fish trap from the Anglo-Saxon period, which are common in the area. But he soon suspected it was something much older and more important. So, he asked English Heritage if they would pay for an excavation (dig). They agreed.
How Seahenge Was Saved
After Seahenge was dug up, its wooden timbers were moved about fifty miles away. They went to the Fenland Archaeology Trust's center at Flag Fen in Cambridgeshire. There, the wood was immediately put into fresh water to protect it. The timbers were cleaned and then stored. English Heritage used special laser technology to create a 3D model of the whole site.
At Flag Fen, the wood was soaked in water mixed with wax for many years. This slowly replaced the water in the wood with wax, which helps preserve it. Later, the timbers were moved to Portsmouth. Experts at the Mary Rose Trust continued the preservation work there. Now, the conservation is finished. A recreated Seahenge is on display near its original site, at the Lynn Museum in King's Lynn. It opened to the public in April 2008.
Holme II
About one hundred meters east of Seahenge (Holme I), another older wooden circle was found. It has two circles of timber posts around a pit lined with hurdle (woven branches). This site is called Holme II. It is older than Holme I, dating from about 2400-2030 BC. However, both sites might have been used at the same time. Holme II is also in danger from the sea, but it has been left in situ (in its original place). This means it is still exposed to the tides. Some people think English Heritage decided to leave Holme II because of the arguments that happened when Holme I was dug up.
Cultural Impact
Seahenge inspired a timber circle in Catherine Fisher's 2005 book Darkhenge. In the story, this monument has an upside-down oak tree surrounded by 24 timbers. Each timber stands for a character from an ancient tree alphabet called ogham. This fictional circle, called Darkhenge, is located at Avebury in Wiltshire. It is shown as a portal to Annwyn, which is the underworld in Welsh mythology.
Seahenge can also be visited in the 2020 video game Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.
Images for kids
-
Seahenge (Holme I) on display at the British Museum
See also
In Spanish: Seahenge para niños
