For years, archaeologists have been puzzled by the purpose of a timber circle, known as Seahenge, constructed off the coast of Norfolk around 4,000 years ago.
Up to date, experts have yet to learn about the group of people who built this mysterious monument. However, they thought that it was erected in a spiritual effort to bring back the warm weather.
Why Seahenge is Built in the First Place?
(Photo : DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
A photograph taken on February 14, 2022 shows a section of a Seahenge a monument found in Norfolk, Britain, which is dated of 2000 BC, and displayed during a press preview of the new exhibition "The World of Stonehenge" at the British Museum, in central London, on February 14, 2022. - The exhibition will run from February 17 until July 17, 2022.
Dr. David Nance, a researcher from the University of Aberdeen, has published new findings suggesting that Seahenge was constructed during a period of prolonged cold weather.
As The Sun reports, the research indicates that the timber used came from trees felled in the spring, and the structure's alignment with the sunrise suggests it was built during a time of severe winters.
Dr. Nance proposes that Seahenge might have symbolized a cage holding a young cuckoo, believed to keep singing and thus extend summer.
"Dating of the Seahenge timbers showed they were felled in the spring, and it was considered most probable that these timbers were aligned with sunrise on the summer solstice. It seems most likely that these monuments had the common intention to end this existential threat but they had different functions," Dr. Nance explained in his GeoJournal paper.
Dr. Nance's theory revolves around the cuckoo, a bird symbolizing fertility and summer in folklore.
According to tradition, the cuckoo stops singing and returns to the Otherworld at the summer solstice, taking summer with it. By creating Seahenge, ancient Britons might have aimed to keep the cuckoo singing and extend the summer period for a longer time.
Discovery and Preservation of Seahenge
Seahenge was first discovered in 1998 after the sands shifted at Holme-next-the-Sea beach. It is estimated to have been built in the spring of 2049 BC.
Alongside Seahenge, another similar monument called "Holme II" was also examined by Dr. Nance. These structures are the only known ancient British monuments erected together.
Holme II and Ritualistic Theories
Initially, experts believed that Seahenge and Holme II marked the deaths of community members or were used for bizarre burials where corpses were left to be pecked at by carrion-eating birds, per MSN.
Dr. Nance's research, however, suggests that Holme II might have held coffins for individuals sacrificed every eight years to appease the gods.
Despite differing functions, the primary intent of both monuments, according to Dr. Nance, was "to end the severely cold weather."
Despite its name, Seahenge was constructed in a swampy area protected from the sea. Over time, peat from decayed vegetation covered the structures, preserving them for millennia. This environmental context has allowed archaeologists to study and uncover new insights into the lives and beliefs of ancient Britons.
A Monument to Weather and Belief
Seahenge and its counterpart Holme II provide a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual and practical concerns of ancient Britons.
Dr. Nance's research sheds light on the possible motivations behind these enigmatic structures, suggesting that they were part of a larger effort to influence weather patterns and ensure the community's survival during harsh climatic conditions.
As archaeologists continue to study these sites, more secrets of Seahenge may yet be revealed. Who knows that in the next decades, they might give accurate answers on how it was built and who built it.
