IT has been variously described as a giant calendar, a place of worship and a royal burial ground.
But now, more than 4000 years after its first stones were dragged from the Welsh mountains to the Salisbury plains, Stonehenge may finally have given up its secret.
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Research suggests the eerie monument was a neolithic Lourdes to which the sick and injured travelled from far and wide to be healed by its magical powers.
The first excavation of Stonehenge for almost 50 years has revealed the soil to be littered with fragments from its smaller bluestones – thought to have been chipped off as lucky charms.
As well, a disproportionate number of people buried in nearby tombs show signs of serious illness and many were not born in the area.
Taken together, the clues point to Stonehenge being the casualty department of southern England.
The study, by Professor Tim Darvill of Bournemouth University and Proessor Geoffrey Wainwright of the Society of Antiquaries of London, shows that bluestone chippings greatly outnumber those from the massive Sarsen stones that form the towering trilithon structures of Stonehenge.
What is more, most of the fragments had been deliberately chipped off the stones, which originated 250km away in the Preseli Hills of Pembrokeshire.
"It could be that people were flaking off pieces of bluestone in order to create little bits to take away… as lucky amulets," said Professor Wainwright.
It is unclear why the stones, which are blue-green with white spots, were so revered. However, the idea of the Preseli Hills' healing powers lingers to this day, with spring water from the area said to ease arthritis and other conditions.
Professor Darvill said: "Taking those pieces to become talismans, lucky charms, to be used in the healing process, is very important. Their meaning and importance to prehistoric people was sufficiently powerful to warrant the investment of time, effort and resources to move the bluestones from the Preseli Hills to the Wessex Downs."
The professors said that "an abnormal number" of bodies entombed nearby showed signs of severe illness or injury.
And analysis of teeth recovered from graves showed that about half belonged to people not native to the area.
Prof Darvill said Stonehenge would attract not only people who were unwell but people who were capable of healing them.
The professors believe the rest of the monument, including the Sarsen stones, which came from Marlborough 40km away, grew up around the bluestones healing centre.
Prof Darvill said: "It could have been a temple at the same time as it was a healing centre, just as Lourdes is still a religious centre."
They added, however, that it was likely the monument had more than one purpose.
Source: Daily Mail
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