Stonehenge of the sea built 4,000 years ago as a prayer for climate change amid existential threat
- By tapping into folklore, UK researcher reveals secret of two enigmatic English monuments
An ancient UK monument that bears a striking similarity to Stonehenge and once stood for centuries on an English beach has long baffled archaeologists about why it was built.
The enigmatic site was nicknamed “Seahenge” but, unlike its namesake, actually contains two circular monuments believed to have been built in 2049 BC.
The two sites, named Holme I and Holme II, respectively, were likely used for separate but connected rituals designed as a prayer for a warmer climate, said David Nance, a researcher at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the author of the project published in the peer-reviewed Geojournal in April.
“Holme I was built to house a cuckoo to keep it singing and prolong the summer, while Holme II was a human sacrifice to persuade [a] goddess to stop the cold weather,” he told the Post.
Holme I was a prehistoric timber circle with an upturned oak stump placed in a pit at its centre. It was discovered in 1998 in Norfolk, England, and the monument was excavated. Its pieces are now on display at a local museum.
