Keeping time

Look: New evidence may finally solve a huge Stonehenge mystery

by Jennifer Walter
Stonehenge at Dawn
Shutterstock

Shutterstock

We still don’t know why Stonehenge exists.

It could have been a gravesite, a monument, an ancient calendar, or possibly a structure we haven’t considered yet.

Researchers have hypothesized that ancient peoples used Stonehenge to track the seasons.

Indeed, parts of the ruins align perfectly with the summer and winter solstice. But there’s more nuance to the calendar’s structure than just marking two big events per year.

Shutterstock
Tap
Space, Time, Dinosaurs, and Other Essential Topics
Get the best of science—space missions, black holes, futuristic biology—delivered daily, minus the jargon.
By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy