Stonehenge Mystery: Monument Was An ‘Ancient Mecca On Stilts,’ Says New Theory
Stonehenge Mystery: Monument Was An ‘Ancient Mecca On Stilts,’ Says New Theory
By Lora Moftah @LoraMoftah l.moftah@ibtimes.com on March 16 2015 11:13 AM EDT
The origin of Stonehenge has long been debated by scholars, but a new theory about the prehistoric British monument literally turns most conventional thinking upside down. Rather than digging through the structure’s foundations, scholars should instead be looking upward, according to British historian and art critic Julian Spalding, who is arguing that Stonehenge was actually “an ancient Mecca on stilts.”
“We’ve been looking at Stonehenge the wrong way: from the earth, which is very much a 20th-century viewpoint,” Spalding told the Guardian in an interview on Sunday. “In early times, no spiritual ceremonies would have been performed on the ground. The pharaoh of Egypt and the emperor of China were always carried -- as the pope used to be. The feet of holy people were not allowed to touch the ground.”
The historian is instead suggesting that the giant stone monoliths could have supported an elevated altar where worshippers would have gathered for sacred ceremonies. “All the great raised altars of the past suggest that the people who built Stonehenge would never have performed celestial ceremonies on the lowly earth,” he said.
While the new theory has been met with some skepticism, some experts have tried to keep an open mind. "There could be something in it. There is a possibility, of course. Anything new and worthwhile about Stonehenge is well worth looking into, but with care and consideration," archaeologist Aubrey Burl told the Guardian.
More:
http://www.ibtimes.com/stonehenge-mystery-monument-was-ancient-mecca-stilts-says-new-theory-1848214
