Stonehenge Riverside Project facts for kids

The Stonehenge Riverside Project was a big archaeological study that looked at how the famous Stonehenge area changed over thousands of years. It focused on the land around Stonehenge during the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age in Britain.

This project wanted to understand how Stonehenge connected with other important places nearby. These included the River Avon, Durrington Walls, the Cursus, the Avenue, Woodhenge, old burial mounds, and other standing stones.

Archaeologists worked on this project from 2003 to 2009. They did a lot of digging and research. One exciting discovery was that Stonehenge was built about 500 years earlier than people first thought! The project also suggested that Stonehenge was built to bring the different groups of people in Britain together. Another amazing find was a new stone circle, which they called Bluestonehenge.

Why Study Stonehenge?

The main goal of the Stonehenge Riverside Project was to test some ideas about Stonehenge. Earlier studies thought that Stonehenge was a special place for the dead. They also believed that Woodhenge and Durrington Walls, which are about two miles away, were places for people who were alive or had recently passed away. The project wanted to see if these ideas were true.

The project was led by several expert archaeologists. They included Mike Parker Pearson from Sheffield University and Julian Thomas from Manchester University.

Digging Up the Past

People have dug inside the main Stonehenge area many times over history. But the area around Durrington Walls, to the east, had not been studied as much.

One important early dig happened between 1926 and 1929. A woman named Maud Cunnington excavated around Woodhenge. She found many features from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. Later, in 1967, when a road was built through Durrington Walls, two timber circles were found. They also found animal bones, pottery, and tools from the Stone Age.

What Did They Do?

The Stonehenge Riverside Project involved many years of fieldwork. This means they spent a lot of time out in the fields, digging and surveying the land.

Early Surveys (2003)

In 2003, the team used special equipment to survey the land around Durrington Walls. This helped them prepare for future digging. They even found two entranceways to the henge that no one knew about before!

First Big Digs (2004)

The year 2004 marked the start of yearly excavations. They dug trenches near the River Avon and at the eastern entrance of Durrington Walls. They found things that showed people lived in the area during the Stone Age.

More Discoveries (2005)

In 2005, more digging happened. They worked east of Durrington Walls and inside its walls. They uncovered the southernmost timber circle that was found in 1967. The TV show Time Team even visited and built a temporary copy of the timber circle nearby!

New Dates (2006)

Many researchers, students, and volunteers helped with the digs in 2006. New dating methods suggested that the main stone part of Stonehenge was built around the same time as Durrington Walls. This was between 2640 and 2480 BC.

Exploring More (2007)

In 2007, hundreds of students and volunteers helped with fieldwork. They dug at the western end of the Stonehenge Cursus, around the gates of Durrington Walls, and near Woodhenge. They also surveyed large areas around Stonehenge. Artists even joined the team to record the discoveries.

The Avenue and Bluestonehenge (2008)

In 2008, the team focused on the Avenue, a path leading to Stonehenge. They also dug at the eastern end of the Cursus and inside Stonehenge itself. TV shows like Nova and National Geographic covered their work.

In 2008 and 2009, the team found something incredible! They excavated the remains of another henge next to the river, about one mile from Stonehenge. This discovery got a lot of attention, and people started calling it "Bluehenge" or "Bluestonehenge" because it was made of bluestones.

Stonehenge: A Giant Cemetery?

The project found that Stonehenge was used as a huge cemetery during the third millennium BC. This means it was a burial ground for many people. Archaeologists found 52 cremation burials and many bone fragments. Since some burials had more than one person, it's thought that between 150 and 240 people were buried there.

In 2007, the project used radiocarbon dating on the bones. This helped them figure out exactly when Stonehenge was used for burials. They found that it started as a cremation cemetery in the early third millennium BC.

What They Learned

The Stonehenge Riverside Project concluded that Stonehenge was built to bring the different people of Stone Age Britain together. It was a place that united them.

The leader of the project, Mike Parker Pearson, wrote a book about all their findings in 2012. It was called Stonehenge, Exploring the Greatest Stone Age Mystery.