Stonehenge...where the party people go! ...Er, went.

[dianeduane]

Archaeologists have found the remains of an ancient settlement two miles from Stonehenge which seems to have been built specifically to celebrate the Winter Solstice... big time.

The new finds at Durrington Walls, two miles northeast of the stone circle, indicate that the entire region was a large religious complex where the early Britons gathered in midwinter for raucous feasts and solemn ceremonies before sending their deceased on a voyage to the afterlife.

...Durrington Walls "is either the richest site or the filthiest that we have ever found for this period," Pearson said. "It's absolutely stuffed full of trash or rubbish: broken pots, chips, flints, burned stones used for cooking and animal bones. Many were thrown away half eaten, a sign of conspicuous consumption. This is an enormous feasting assemblage. People were here to have a really good time."

Significantly, there was no evidence for the processing of grain or baking it and little evidence of crafts. "This was not a full-time, year-round community, but one for specialized activities."

Like partying!

Comments

[dhole.livejournal.com]

There was a Time Team special about this about a year ago, if I recall correctly -- google gives me this (http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2005_durr.html), which seems to indicate that I do.

Interesting stuff, though as with most prehistoric excavations, they do seem to get a bit ahead of their evidence when it comes to talking about religious beliefs.

[were-gopher.livejournal.com]

I always figure if an archaeologist says "it was a ritual site or item" what they're really saying is " I've got no idea what the heck this is".

[megabitch.livejournal.com]

Absolutely... "it's ritual" is archeological-speak for "I haven't a f'-ing clue!" I think there have been a group of people throughout time who have delighted in creating and hiding weird items just to screw with the minds of future archeologists - I know I'm one of them ;)

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

I suppose a "religious ceremony" then has always been the excuse for a right good party. We are still celebrating Midwinter Just most now call it Christmas.

[rabidfangurl.livejournal.com]

I've been told this exact thing by a Classics professor.

[(Anonymous)]

I knew there was a reason I liked those ancient Druids.

[sshi.livejournal.com]

There's a rather nice Kim Stanley Robinson story about this one, about an archaeological excavation of Vinland.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I seem to remember a study that showed that the arrangement of stones at the Henge itself would act as a huge amplifier and focus any sound made inside, in the direction of the 'axis'.

I also see that this site is on that axis.

So, what we're looking at here is the worlds oldest rave concert site and the neolithic sound system for it!

[aunty_marion]

My own personal theory on this is that it was the first Visitor Centre for Stonehenge. You've got the little buildings selling ice-cream and tea and cakes (or the Neolithic equivalents), and a couple of B&Bs, maybe, and the large clean-floored building was the ticket office.

[bevlovesbooks.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the aftermath of any decent sf convention to me.