Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-17
AGE OF sToNEHENaE.
Determined by Its Relation to Astro-
nomical Observations.

tum tue SpectAtoks
Following the same line Of thought which
he formerly applied to certain Egyptian
temples, Sir Norman Lockyer is able to
show that Stonehenge was originally built
to serve the purpose of a primitive OBJ
servatory. 1t was built for the use of the
astronomer priests. who, perhaps, brought
the wisdom of the east to this country many
centuries before its very name had
emerged into the light of history. The
sun and star worship which forms the
basis of so many types Of primitive re-
ligion was closely interviewer with the
practical need of fixed dates in the year
for the use Of the agriculturist, who pos
sessed no calendar to tell him when to
vest. To this day the Pleaides are known
as the 'hoeing stars" in South Africa,
and take the place of a farming calendar
to the Solomon islanders, just as their mid
night elimination fixed the beginning Of
the feast Of Isis at Busiris. and regulated
the f1fty-two year cycle Of the ancient
Mexicans. 1t Is now proved, from COM
parative study Of prehistoric monuments
and ancient temples all over the world,
that one OF the first uses of these edifces
was to enable the astronomer priests to
fix such dates with ease and certainty.
Every one knows that the sun rises at
different point on the horizon daily
throughout the year, and that the time of
star rising varies night by night. These
simple facts suff1ced primitive man for the
determination of his calendar. Some of
the Egyptian temples were carefully ORR
ented SO that bright star, like Sirius
or Campus, was visible down the avenue
which served as the tube of a telescope
at a particular hour on a given night in
the year. By far the greater number of
stone circles. Of which Stonehenge is the
best-known example, were so oriented that
flashed its rays directly upon the central
altar; in other words, their axis was care
fully directed to the point on the horizon
over which the sun rose on the longest
instances of different ordinations, each
corresponding to the fixed points in some
ancient calendar. But Stonehenge was GER
tainly solar temple and observatory.
Now comes in the bearing Of this fact
upon the history of its building The point
Of midsummer sunrise is not always the
same. The procession of the equinoxes-
or the fact that the celestial pole is travel
ing round a vast circle, which 1t takes
about 25,0O0 years to completeness q
secular change in this point. At the pres
ent day the axis of Stonehenge is not d.
rected to the midsummer sunrise, but to
point nearly one degree away from 1t. Now
we know the rate at which the place of
midsummer sunrise changes in consequence
OF procession, and it Is comparatively
simple calculation to determine the date
at which the sun must have risen on mid
summer day in line with the avenue
at Stonehenge. The conclusion fs that this
remarkable edifice must have been erected
about 1880 B. c., the possible error being
not greater than 200 years on either side
of this date. Thus astronomy tells us
that Stonehenge must have been built
somewhere between 1900 and 1900 B. c.,
II the assumption Of it's purpose be correct
The general evidence from similar temples
all over the world hardly leaves room for
doubt on that head, and thus we obtain
what may safely be called the first definite
fact in British history, carrying 1t back
more than fifteen centuries before our is
lands first came into contact with recorded
civilization. 1t is clear that the people
who could build Stonehenge for such a pur-
pose were far removed from mere saw
agery.