Previously unseen drawings discovered on Stonehenge

British archaeologists discovered previously unknown drawings on the stones of Stonehenge with the help of a laser. According to Glob-news, the laser scanning of 83 ancient slabs of the iconic monument was conducted by commercial company. After historians analyzed the three-dimensional images that they received as a result of the scanning, they discovered 72 previously unseen drawings on the surface of the rocks. The drawings represented the image of axes and daggers of the Bronze Age. According to scientists, the drawings were made in 1500-1800 years BC.

For the first time, such images were found on the monument in the 1950s, albeit with the help of a magnifier. In ancient times, light patterns could be clearly visible on dark stones, but they got weathered with time. The new study has revealed that there were a lot more of such images on the slabs than archaeologists previously thought.

Axes in the Indo-European tradition are often associated with the god of thunder. It is also believed that the axes that lie with their blades up, were used for protection against storms and lightnings. All axes at Stonehenge are depicted with their blades up, whereas all knives can be seen with their points down. It is quite possible that the authors tried to protect themselves from the fury of the god of thunder and storm. It could also be possible that the images carry a funeral message.

The laser study also found that one of the stone slabs from the south-western side, which is now destroyed, had been treated with special care. It was done so to ensure that all participants of the ceremony had an opportunity to see the setting sun during winter solstice. The surface of the rocks in the outer circle, which could be seen when approaching from the northeast, was completely cleared to achieve the gray-and-white color of the surface underneath. The rocks standing on the north-east are the largest and most uniform - they create straight and narrow rectangular spaces between them, writes Novostiua.net.

In addition, the study showed that the craftsmen used two different techniques for processing the stone slabs in the center and around. Perhaps this suggests that the outer slabs had been erected after the inner slabs. The main part of Stonehenge was built in the III millennium BC. Many experts believe that the monument was created as the place where people could worship the sun. The location of the slabs in accordance with the sun during the summer and winter solstices speaks in support of this theory.

In June of this year, a team of scientists from the Universities of Sheffield, Bournemouth and Manchester also stated that Stonehenge was built to strengthen a union between the feuding tribes of the east and the west of Great Britain. According to the research, from 1800 to 1500 BC, the area around the monument was used for individual tombs.