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Stonehenge and the Winter Solstice

Authors:
That the outer stone circle, erected later,
blocks the sightline to the Winter Sunrise no
more takes away from the symbolism than
does the invisibilty of the East from inside a
Cathedral.
In the 1920s three holes were discovered in
the eastern bank of the monument. They were
of considerable size, over a metre deep, but
are poorly understood. They may be stone
holes but It is not even known for sure if they
are manmade. They are known as the F, G
and H Stone Holes and are on the plan
overleaf. Taken with the Station Stones we
get more examples of the 129 degree
alignment. The line from Station Stone 93
(SS93 on plan) across the outer face of the
Great Trilithon goes to Stone Hole H.
Where this alignment reaches the ditch and
bank there is a concentration of cremation
burials and it is also where three post holes
were found in the bank. Are these co-
incidences or was this a sacred spot?
From Station Stone 94 to Stone Hole G is a
similar alignment as is the Altar Stone (AS on
plan) and two postholes in front of it. There is
even an anomolously postioned Bluestone
(33e) which is on a similar orientation. But to
claim these latter examples, and other possible
ones, as alignments might be stretching the
scant evidence.
The postioning of the largest and most
prominent trilithon was not by chance and that
it marks both the sunsets and the sunrises of
the Solstices is, I believe, more than probable,
and has not been recorded before.
From the consensus that the Winter Solstice
was the most important festival for the builders
of Stonehenge we can expect that the
alignments were to the Winter Solstice Sunrise
and Sunset, but it is worth noting that reversed
they point to the Summer Solstice Sunrise and
Sunset as well.
For more details and information please visit
http://www.sarsen.org.
Written and published by
T. C. Daw M.A.
Cannings Cross Farms Ltd.
All Cannings Cross, Wiltshire
SN10 3NP
http://www.sarsen.org
1st Edition October 2012
Stonehenge and
the Winter Solstice
by Tim Daw
It has long been recognised that the main axis
of Stonehenge is aligned not only to the
Summer Solstice Sunrise but also to the
Winter Solstice Sunset. This line through the
middle of the monument from the Avenue, past
the Heel Stone, through the centre of the three
arches of the outer ring goes through the
centre of what was the Great Trilithon.
It is thought that the Winter Solstice Sunset
was the major festival celebrated for several
reasons, such as feasting evidence from
Durrington Walls.
But there may also be a Winter Solstice
Sunrise alignment built into the monument.
That the outer stone circle, erected later,
blocks the sightline to the Winter Sunrise no
more takes away from the symbolism than
does the invisibilty of the East from inside a
Cathedral.
In the 1920s three holes were discovered in
the eastern bank of the monument. They were
of considerable size, over a metre deep, but
are poorly understood. They may be stone
holes but It is not even known for sure if they
are manmade. They are known as the F, G
and H Stone Holes and are on the plan
overleaf. Taken with the Station Stones we
get more examples of the 129 degree
alignment. The line from Station Stone 93
(SS93 on plan) across the outer face of the
Great Trilithon goes to Stone Hole H.
Where this alignment reaches the ditch and
bank there is a concentration of cremation
burials and it is also where three post holes
were found in the bank. Are these co-
incidences or was this a sacred spot?
From Station Stone 94 to Stone Hole G is a
similar alignment as is the Altar Stone (AS on
plan) and two postholes in front of it. There is
even an anomolously postioned Bluestone
(33e) which is on a similar orientation. But to
claim these latter examples, and other possible
ones, as alignments might be stretching the
scant evidence.
The postioning of the largest and most
prominent trilithon was not by chance and that
it marks both the sunsets and the sunrises of
the Solstices is, I believe, more than probable,
and has not been recorded before.
From the consensus that the Winter Solstice
was the most important festival for the builders
of Stonehenge we can expect that the
alignments were to the Winter Solstice Sunrise
and Sunset, but it is worth noting that reversed
they point to the Summer Solstice Sunrise and
Sunset as well.
For more details and information please visit
http://www.sarsen.org.
Written and published by
T. C. Daw M.A.
Cannings Cross Farms Ltd.
All Cannings Cross, Wiltshire
SN10 3NP
http://www.sarsen.org
1st Edition October 2012
Stonehenge and
the Winter Solstice
by Tim Daw
It has long been recognised that the main axis
of Stonehenge is aligned not only to the
Summer Solstice Sunrise but also to the
Winter Solstice Sunset. This line through the
middle of the monument from the Avenue, past
the Heel Stone, through the centre of the three
arches of the outer ring goes through the
centre of what was the Great Trilithon.
It is thought that the Winter Solstice Sunset
was the major festival celebrated for several
reasons, such as feasting evidence from
Durrington Walls.
But there may also be a Winter Solstice
Sunrise alignment built into the monument.
That the outer stone circle, erected later,
blocks the sightline to the Winter Sunrise no
more takes away from the symbolism than
does the invisibilty of the East from inside a
Cathedral.
In the 1920s three holes were discovered in
the eastern bank of the monument. They were
of considerable size, over a metre deep, but
are poorly understood. They may be stone
holes but It is not even known for sure if they
are manmade. They are known as the F, G
and H Stone Holes and are on the plan
overleaf. Taken with the Station Stones we
get more examples of the 129 degree
alignment. The line from Station Stone 93
(SS93 on plan) across the outer face of the
Great Trilithon goes to Stone Hole H.
Where this alignment reaches the ditch and
bank there is a concentration of cremation
burials and it is also where three post holes
were found in the bank. Are these co-
incidences or was this a sacred spot?
From Station Stone 94 to Stone Hole G is a
similar alignment as is the Altar Stone (AS on
plan) and two postholes in front of it. There is
even an anomolously postioned Bluestone
(33e) which is on a similar orientation. But to
claim these latter examples, and other possible
ones, as alignments might be stretching the
scant evidence.
The postioning of the largest and most
prominent trilithon was not by chance and that
it marks both the sunsets and the sunrises of
the Solstices is, I believe, more than probable,
and has not been recorded before.
From the consensus that the Winter Solstice
was the most important festival for the builders
of Stonehenge we can expect that the
alignments were to the Winter Solstice Sunrise
and Sunset, but it is worth noting that reversed
they point to the Summer Solstice Sunrise and
Sunset as well.
For more details and information please visit
http://www.sarsen.org.
Written and published by
T. C. Daw M.A.
Cannings Cross Farms Ltd.
All Cannings Cross, Wiltshire
SN10 3NP
http://www.sarsen.org
1st Edition October 2012
Stonehenge and
the Winter Solstice
by Tim Daw
It has long been recognised that the main axis
of Stonehenge is aligned not only to the
Summer Solstice Sunrise but also to the
Winter Solstice Sunset. This line through the
middle of the monument from the Avenue, past
the Heel Stone, through the centre of the three
arches of the outer ring goes through the
centre of what was the Great Trilithon.
It is thought that the Winter Solstice Sunset
was the major festival celebrated for several
reasons, such as feasting evidence from
Durrington Walls.
But there may also be a Winter Solstice
Sunrise alignment built into the monument.
That the outer stone circle, erected later,
blocks the sightline to the Winter Sunrise no
more takes away from the symbolism than
does the invisibilty of the East from inside a
Cathedral.
In the 1920s three holes were discovered in
the eastern bank of the monument. They were
of considerable size, over a metre deep, but
are poorly understood. They may be stone
holes but It is not even known for sure if they
are manmade. They are known as the F, G
and H Stone Holes and are on the plan
overleaf. Taken with the Station Stones we
get more examples of the 129 degree
alignment. The line from Station Stone 93
(SS93 on plan) across the outer face of the
Great Trilithon goes to Stone Hole H.
Where this alignment reaches the ditch and
bank there is a concentration of cremation
burials and it is also where three post holes
were found in the bank. Are these co-
incidences or was this a sacred spot?
From Station Stone 94 to Stone Hole G is a
similar alignment as is the Altar Stone (AS on
plan) and two postholes in front of it. There is
even an anomolously postioned Bluestone
(33e) which is on a similar orientation. But to
claim these latter examples, and other possible
ones, as alignments might be stretching the
scant evidence.
The postioning of the largest and most
prominent trilithon was not by chance and that
it marks both the sunsets and the sunrises of
the Solstices is, I believe, more than probable,
and has not been recorded before.
From the consensus that the Winter Solstice
was the most important festival for the builders
of Stonehenge we can expect that the
alignments were to the Winter Solstice Sunrise
and Sunset, but it is worth noting that reversed
they point to the Summer Solstice Sunrise and
Sunset as well.
For more details and information please visit
http://www.sarsen.org.
Written and published by
T. C. Daw M.A.
Cannings Cross Farms Ltd.
All Cannings Cross, Wiltshire
SN10 3NP
http://www.sarsen.org
1st Edition October 2012
Stonehenge and
the Winter Solstice
by Tim Daw
It has long been recognised that the main axis
of Stonehenge is aligned not only to the
Summer Solstice Sunrise but also to the
Winter Solstice Sunset. This line through the
middle of the monument from the Avenue, past
the Heel Stone, through the centre of the three
arches of the outer ring goes through the
centre of what was the Great Trilithon.
It is thought that the Winter Solstice Sunset
was the major festival celebrated for several
reasons, such as feasting evidence from
Durrington Walls.
But there may also be a Winter Solstice
Sunrise alignment built into the monument.
The Great Trilithon was the tallest of the five
trilithons that made up the inner horseshoe of
sarsen stones. The two uprights, Stones 55
and 56, are marked on the plan here.
Stone 55 is broken and lies on the ground
along with the lintel but Stone 56 is upright; it
was straightened in 1901, as it was leaning at
a precarious angle, by William Gowland.
The largely unremarked fact about Stone 56 is
that it is not at a symmetrical angle to the rest
of the horseshoe and to the well known W inter
Sunset alignment; it is skewed.
It is assumed by those who do notice it that
this is a mistake, probably made by Gowland
as he re-erected it. But careful examination of
his meticulous excavation records shows that
the stone was re-erected to within inches of its
original position. He also excavated under
Stone 55 and concluded it was originally
erected in line with Stone 56. So the whole
Trilithon was originally skewed 11 degrees at
the end of the horseshoe. This would have
been so striking a feature it cannot have been
a mistake by the builders. It was done for a
reason which was probably a solar alignment.
The outside faces of the two uprights of the
Great Trilithon were finely worked to be flat
surfaces. These surfaces, and the lintel that
was on top of them, were aligned to a bearing
of 129 degrees which is the direction of the
Winter Solstice Sunrise.
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