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The Secrets of Stonehenge
English, French (translation)
- GenresNonfictionHistory
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 6, 2018
Se puede considerar como un libro de investigación científica de un monumento natural del que no se tiene certeza de su construcción, del cual el autor realiza una consulta por varios escritos en la historia para darle mas peso al libro. Para los amantes de la arqueología e historia puede ser interesante este documento pero un poco complicado por su temática, cálculos y referencias citadas.
May 14, 2023
A HELPFUL HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF THE FAMED MONUMENT
Author Fernand Niel wrote in the Foreword to this 1974 book, “The aim of this book is to better acquaint the public with one of the world’s most mysterious monuments: the prehistoric structure of Stonehenge… I would like to stress one point at the outset: Stonehenge is not a megalith monument that can be put in the same category as dolmens and menhirs. The stones that compose it are not in their natural state. They were shaped by its builders, sometimes with great skill. Furthermore, we find such exactness and architectural refinements in its design, and its construction reveals such great knowledge and technical accomplishments, that it stands apart from other megalithic monuments…” (Pg. 7-8)
He continues, “important questions remain unanswered… Nowhere else in the world is there anything comparable to it. Stonehenge was probably a solar temple, a kind of sanctuary. It has two dominant figures: its circular shape in the horizontal plane and, vertically, the shape of its trilithons, which are composed of stones joined at the top by a third stone that forms a lintel.” (Pg. 9)
He goes on, “Stonehenge… was built in the fourteenth or fifteenth century B.C. At that time and place, as far as we know, there were no nations, cities, or civilizations comparable to those of the eastern Mediterranean basin… We know so little about the people living in the region of Stonehenge at the time when it was built that we designate them by the name of the utensil they used for drinking or by the rather vague term ‘Wessex Culture,’ based on objects taken from their graves in Wessex. We know that they were divided into tribes, that they practiced farming and herding, that they knew bronze but still used some stone tools, and that they buried their dead in circular graves. Aside from a few details of their weapons, utensils, and adornments, that is nearly all we know about them.” (Pg. 11)
He then gives a very detailed and helpful explanation of the physical layout and materials in Stonehenge.
Turning to history, he states, “in about 2300 B.C., newcomers landed on the south shore of England. From the continent, they brought a revolutionary way of life: they practiced farming and herding.” (Pg. 77) He continues, “We have no proof that the Windmill Hill people took part in the construction of a primitive phase of Stonehenge. But the concentration of long barrows and earthworks of the Curus type around the monument show that the tribes of that people regarded the region with a certain interest or special veneration.” (Pg. 79)
He notes, “The present ruined state of Stonehenge has always suggested deliberate human action. Two periods have been posed for its destruction: the Roman occupation and the Middle Ages… but all over Europe, the people had great veneration for old stones… The church was probably responsible for the destruction of many megalithic monuments from the fifth century onward… But such an operation would have been uncharacteristic of the Romans, and there is little reason to attribute it to them… it seems unlikely that Roman soldiers would have bothered to break the sarcens or bluestones into little fragments. If they wanted to destroy the monument, they had only to topple the uprights. Who, at that time, could have erected them again?” (Pg. 90-91)
He concludes, “it seems to me that the ruined state of Stonehenge must be largely attributed to natural causes and certain weaknesses in its foundation. To the best of my knowledge, Stonehenge is the only large monument in which the visible parts and the buried parts are homogeneous. It is not certain, of course, that if the monument had not begun to collapse from natural causes, its destruction would not have been ordered by the church.” (Pg. 94-95)
He suggests, “the earthworks that composed the … original Stonehenge monument, must not have posed ay difficulties. Der-antler picks and shovels … were strong enough to dig into the chalk… The excavated material used for building the bank beside the ditch may have been removed by means of baskets passed from hand to hand. In short, construction of the earthworks does not seem to have been beyond the technical means of people living in that place about four thousand years ago.” (Pg. 149)
Of moving the stones into the area, he observes, “the difficulties must have been enormous… First of all, the stones had to be lifted out of the ground and placed on rollers… Twenty men would be sufficient. Once they were on rollers, the stones were probably placed on sledges and dragged across the ground with ropes… It has been estimated that at least fifteen hundred men, working five years, were required to transport the sarsen stones. There also had to be men to cut down trees, make and repair ropes, supply food for the other workers, and so on. We cannot help thinking of an organized, hierarchical society.” (Pg. 161-163)
He explains, “We here approach the most debated and debatable problem but also the most fascinating. How was sunrise at the summer solstice observed through the monument? Did the monument permit other observations of the same kind? Let us note the importance of these questions. On their answers depend the answers we can form about the purpose of Stonehenge, the date of its construction, and the astronomical knowledge of its builders. If it was designed to mark midsummer sunrise at the time when it was built, or similar phenomena, enduring indications of that intention still remain, and how valuable they will be if we can find them!” (Pg. 183-184)
He observes, “To me, the real history of Stonehenge ended when the sun no longer remained chained to its stone pillars. It stayed there for long centuries, but eventually there came a time when half of its disk was no longer exactly framed between the uprights of the Great Trilithon. That ran counter to ancient tradition. The first rays of the sun still appeared between the two giant stones, but the longest day of the year became more and more difficult to determine… The sun god was forsaking his worshippers, and that withdrawal from a frame that had seemed established for all eternity appeared to be ineluctable. If some sort of disaster---an epidemic, an invasion, a famine---then struck the tribes … it must have been enough to make then abandon the temple. Then came other peoples, other beliefs…” (Pg. 194-195)
He summarizes, “Why was Stonehenge built? I have assumed… that it was meant to be a solar temple… it is perfectly legitimate to imagine priests officiating on the Altar Stone and a crowd of worshippers gathered around… When was it built? In either the fourteenth or fifteenth century B.C. … Who were the builders of Stonehenge?... the peoples of Windmill Hill… the Secondary Neolithic and the Beakers, and finally the Wessex culture… We are thus very close to giving convincing answers to the main questions. Yet a kind of uneasiness still remains. The mind is not entirely satisfied… The unique character of Stonehenge shows that it is the work of a single man. And that man was foreign to Salisbury Plain. That is the only reasonable conclusion I can reach… The great magician probably came from one of the countries around the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Only there could one have learned enough geometry, architecture, and astronomy to design such a monument. It does not matter whether that country was Argolis, Crete, Egypt, Phoenicia or some other; the main point is that the architect came from a country with a civilization that had long been highly developed… he must have had no difficulty in persuading the people of Wiltshire to build a magnificent circular temple dedicate to the sun god.” (Pg. 197-199)
This book will be of keen interest to anyone studying Stonehenge/
Author Fernand Niel wrote in the Foreword to this 1974 book, “The aim of this book is to better acquaint the public with one of the world’s most mysterious monuments: the prehistoric structure of Stonehenge… I would like to stress one point at the outset: Stonehenge is not a megalith monument that can be put in the same category as dolmens and menhirs. The stones that compose it are not in their natural state. They were shaped by its builders, sometimes with great skill. Furthermore, we find such exactness and architectural refinements in its design, and its construction reveals such great knowledge and technical accomplishments, that it stands apart from other megalithic monuments…” (Pg. 7-8)
He continues, “important questions remain unanswered… Nowhere else in the world is there anything comparable to it. Stonehenge was probably a solar temple, a kind of sanctuary. It has two dominant figures: its circular shape in the horizontal plane and, vertically, the shape of its trilithons, which are composed of stones joined at the top by a third stone that forms a lintel.” (Pg. 9)
He goes on, “Stonehenge… was built in the fourteenth or fifteenth century B.C. At that time and place, as far as we know, there were no nations, cities, or civilizations comparable to those of the eastern Mediterranean basin… We know so little about the people living in the region of Stonehenge at the time when it was built that we designate them by the name of the utensil they used for drinking or by the rather vague term ‘Wessex Culture,’ based on objects taken from their graves in Wessex. We know that they were divided into tribes, that they practiced farming and herding, that they knew bronze but still used some stone tools, and that they buried their dead in circular graves. Aside from a few details of their weapons, utensils, and adornments, that is nearly all we know about them.” (Pg. 11)
He then gives a very detailed and helpful explanation of the physical layout and materials in Stonehenge.
Turning to history, he states, “in about 2300 B.C., newcomers landed on the south shore of England. From the continent, they brought a revolutionary way of life: they practiced farming and herding.” (Pg. 77) He continues, “We have no proof that the Windmill Hill people took part in the construction of a primitive phase of Stonehenge. But the concentration of long barrows and earthworks of the Curus type around the monument show that the tribes of that people regarded the region with a certain interest or special veneration.” (Pg. 79)
He notes, “The present ruined state of Stonehenge has always suggested deliberate human action. Two periods have been posed for its destruction: the Roman occupation and the Middle Ages… but all over Europe, the people had great veneration for old stones… The church was probably responsible for the destruction of many megalithic monuments from the fifth century onward… But such an operation would have been uncharacteristic of the Romans, and there is little reason to attribute it to them… it seems unlikely that Roman soldiers would have bothered to break the sarcens or bluestones into little fragments. If they wanted to destroy the monument, they had only to topple the uprights. Who, at that time, could have erected them again?” (Pg. 90-91)
He concludes, “it seems to me that the ruined state of Stonehenge must be largely attributed to natural causes and certain weaknesses in its foundation. To the best of my knowledge, Stonehenge is the only large monument in which the visible parts and the buried parts are homogeneous. It is not certain, of course, that if the monument had not begun to collapse from natural causes, its destruction would not have been ordered by the church.” (Pg. 94-95)
He suggests, “the earthworks that composed the … original Stonehenge monument, must not have posed ay difficulties. Der-antler picks and shovels … were strong enough to dig into the chalk… The excavated material used for building the bank beside the ditch may have been removed by means of baskets passed from hand to hand. In short, construction of the earthworks does not seem to have been beyond the technical means of people living in that place about four thousand years ago.” (Pg. 149)
Of moving the stones into the area, he observes, “the difficulties must have been enormous… First of all, the stones had to be lifted out of the ground and placed on rollers… Twenty men would be sufficient. Once they were on rollers, the stones were probably placed on sledges and dragged across the ground with ropes… It has been estimated that at least fifteen hundred men, working five years, were required to transport the sarsen stones. There also had to be men to cut down trees, make and repair ropes, supply food for the other workers, and so on. We cannot help thinking of an organized, hierarchical society.” (Pg. 161-163)
He explains, “We here approach the most debated and debatable problem but also the most fascinating. How was sunrise at the summer solstice observed through the monument? Did the monument permit other observations of the same kind? Let us note the importance of these questions. On their answers depend the answers we can form about the purpose of Stonehenge, the date of its construction, and the astronomical knowledge of its builders. If it was designed to mark midsummer sunrise at the time when it was built, or similar phenomena, enduring indications of that intention still remain, and how valuable they will be if we can find them!” (Pg. 183-184)
He observes, “To me, the real history of Stonehenge ended when the sun no longer remained chained to its stone pillars. It stayed there for long centuries, but eventually there came a time when half of its disk was no longer exactly framed between the uprights of the Great Trilithon. That ran counter to ancient tradition. The first rays of the sun still appeared between the two giant stones, but the longest day of the year became more and more difficult to determine… The sun god was forsaking his worshippers, and that withdrawal from a frame that had seemed established for all eternity appeared to be ineluctable. If some sort of disaster---an epidemic, an invasion, a famine---then struck the tribes … it must have been enough to make then abandon the temple. Then came other peoples, other beliefs…” (Pg. 194-195)
He summarizes, “Why was Stonehenge built? I have assumed… that it was meant to be a solar temple… it is perfectly legitimate to imagine priests officiating on the Altar Stone and a crowd of worshippers gathered around… When was it built? In either the fourteenth or fifteenth century B.C. … Who were the builders of Stonehenge?... the peoples of Windmill Hill… the Secondary Neolithic and the Beakers, and finally the Wessex culture… We are thus very close to giving convincing answers to the main questions. Yet a kind of uneasiness still remains. The mind is not entirely satisfied… The unique character of Stonehenge shows that it is the work of a single man. And that man was foreign to Salisbury Plain. That is the only reasonable conclusion I can reach… The great magician probably came from one of the countries around the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Only there could one have learned enough geometry, architecture, and astronomy to design such a monument. It does not matter whether that country was Argolis, Crete, Egypt, Phoenicia or some other; the main point is that the architect came from a country with a civilization that had long been highly developed… he must have had no difficulty in persuading the people of Wiltshire to build a magnificent circular temple dedicate to the sun god.” (Pg. 197-199)
This book will be of keen interest to anyone studying Stonehenge/
June 2, 2021
When I first saw this book on the shelf, I thought it was more pseudoscience garbage on aliens and magic and super-druids and magnets and Stonehenge, but it's actually a rather detailed analysis on some rather compelling hypotheses on how the monument was built, why it was built, who built it, etc. It was probably built in stages, possibly by different people, and it may not have actually been completed - who doesn't have an incomplete project laying around the hose, right? :)
It was a good read, and I'd like to find something quite a bit more recent, to see how it all held up to further research.
It was a good read, and I'd like to find something quite a bit more recent, to see how it all held up to further research.
August 16, 2024
An excellently researched & cited book. The content is a bit dry for the average reader I would suppose; but if you have an interest in the subject matter, as well as an appreciation of academic writing, you will enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews