LONDON (AP) — A multitude of tourists, pagans, druids, and individuals eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring gathered at the ancient Stonehenge monument to commemorate the dawn of the shortest day of the year on Saturday. Revelers erupted into cheers and rhythmic drumming as the sun ascended at precisely 8:09 a.m. (0809 GMT) beyond the towering standing stones on the winter solstice – a day characterized by the briefest period of daylight and the lengthiest night in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the sun being obscured by the overcast winter sky, the festive atmosphere persisted with a flurry of drumbeats, chants, and melodies accompanying the breaking of dawn.
On this particular day, England experienced less than eight hours of daylight, signaling the beginning of lengthening days leading up to the summer solstice in June. The solstices represent a rare opportunity for visitors to approach the stones at Stonehenge directly, prompting thousands to rise before dawn to immerse themselves in the ambiance.
Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, 31-year-old civil servant Chris Smith remarked, “This is all about renewal, rebirth, we’re entering into the new year, and it’s also a good time to acknowledge what’s taking place in the year that’s been. There’s such a vibe. I mean, if you look around, you’ve got everybody here, there’s such an energy in the space.”
The stone circle, constructed around 5,000 years ago by a Neolithic culture that revered the sun, remains a subject of debate regarding its intended purpose. Was it a place of worship, a tool for solar calculations, a burial ground, or possibly a combination of these functions? In a publication within the journal Archaeology International, researchers hailing from University College London and Aberystwyth University proposed that the site, located on Salisbury Plain approximately 128 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of London, likely possessed both political and spiritual significance.
Recent findings have shed light on the origins of Stonehenge’s stones, adding to the intrigue surrounding the monument. Notably, one of the stones – the distinctive flat stone positioned at the heart of the structure, known as the “altar stone” – was traced back to Scotland, hundreds of miles north of the site. Furthermore, additional stones were identified as originating from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 240 kilometers (150 miles) to the west.
Lead author Mike Parker Pearson, affiliated with UCL’s Institute of Archaeology, emphasized that the diverse geographical sources of the stones suggest that Stonehenge potentially served as a “monument of unification for the peoples of Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos.”
