New research by two archaeoastronomers suggests that Stonehenge, the megalithic monument in England, may have been built as a connection to the afterlife and the winter solstice. According to the experts, the monument may have been a “gateway” to the afterlife, and its construction may have been motivated by the builders’ symbolic interest in the solar cycle and the connections between the afterlife and the winter solstice in Neolithic societies of the time. The astronomical alignment of the monument with the sun in relation to both the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset supports this theory.
The study refutes a recent theory suggesting that the monument was used as a giant solar calendar, as experts argue that the archaeoastronomical and calendrical basis for this theory is scant. In addition, the Stonehenge Neolithic Solar Calendar Theory has undergone severe stress testing, in which the astronomical elements and numerology of the structure were analyzed.
Overall, experts conclude that the monument returns to its role as a silent witness and a sacred landscape, a role that does not detract from its extraordinary charm. Although this new research does not provide a definitive explanation of Stonehenge’s function, it offers an interesting perspective on its possible original purpose.