Latest observation at the Stonehenge revealed that its tallest stone may have been previously used to predict the midsummer solstice.
Wiltshire monument steward Tim Daw discovered that the stone is aligned with the midsummer sunset.
"It wasn't the best evening for a sunset picture as a bank of cloud came in at the wrong moment but it was close enough to prove the point," says Daw.
Daw mentions putting forward the theory involving a line of stones 80 degrees to the axis of the monument. He claims the sun will set along the back of the stone on midsummer. The theory proved to be correct when the sun set Saturday at 21:26 BST.
Daw recalls a wonderful sunset where the sun went down directly and in line with the back of the stone.
Researchers previously believed that the Stonehenge was put up at an incorrect inaccurate angle when it was re-erected in 1901. However, Daw's discovery says the angle is deliberate. According to Daw, the tallest stone, Stone 56, is twisted and is not where it should be. The twist would have been a result of the modern excavators "botching up the job" when it was placed back to the vertical.
Dow also adds that his study reveals that the stone was originally out of symmetry with the central solstice alignment, along with the stone's fallen partner and stones around it, like the Altar Stone.
This discovery points out that in previous studies, an idealized plan was used instead of an actual one for the calculations.
"This isn't some nebulous sighting line on a distant star; this is 100 tonnes of stone deliberately pointing to the major event at the other end of the day the rest of the monument celebrates," remarks Dow.
The Wiltshire steward recognizes a possible coincidence of a stone being out of line, however believes that the placement of five of the major stones is a "designed feature," saying "[i]t shows what can be discovered by simple observation even in such a well-researched site as Stonehenge."
Photo: Manohar Dasari | Flickr
