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| Woodhenge |
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DISCOVERED by British archaeologists in 1999, Woodhenge is thought to
have been a huge wooden
cousin of the famous Stonehenge just 20 miles away. A Neolithic wooden monument, where now lies deep holes, there once stood tall poles of red cedar wood. Like many of the henge monuments, the exact purpose of Woodhenge remains a mystery. There was also two concentric stone circles which were destroyed in the 18th Century. In the centre of where these would have been, giant post holes have been found. They are up to six feet deep and could have supported wooden pillars up to 17ft high and six to eight rings appear to have existed. One theory is that they were supports for a ritual building but they are much thicker and closer together than would have been needed to hold up a roof. The archaeologists believe they are more likely to have formed a free-standing "woodhenge". It is believed that there may have been about 40 similar wooden structures in the ancient kingdom of Wessex - some of them much bigger such as the complex at Stanton Drew, 10 km south of Bristol. It consists of three circles, two of which have attached avenues and a 'cove' of three standing stones. Although the structure is undated, it is thought to be around the early-beaker stage. |
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