Stonehenge is known as a mystical place where every solstice, those closest to the ancient traditions, gather to receive the astronomical changes near the millenary megaliths. But it is not the only magical site that shows millenary traditions. Dorstone Hill, located 180 kilometers north of the famous megaliths, is a living time box where magical crystals have been found that give evidence of Neolithic life.
Dorstone Hill, located near the iconic Stonehenge, is also a site of great archaeological interest to researchers. This hill is known as the site of the ‘Halls of the Dead’ because it is an enclosure with a raised causeway and three long mounds that were initially made of wood. However, it is believed that upon the passing of a local leader during the Neolithic period, the halls were burned and replaced by three earthen mounds.
A Neolithic ceremonial center
Nick Overtone, an archaeologist from the University of Manchester, has been working at Dorstone Hill to find more clues about the ancient cultures that inhabited the site in the past. And as part of his research, he and his team began excavations to find out more about ancient life in the Neolithic period.
It was precisely in these excavations that Overtone found a little more than 300 pieces of a strange quartz crystal. The archaeologist said that the crystal pieces, transparent as water, were found in the ceremonial center that dates back 6,000 years.
[Photo: Dorstone History Society]
Analyses of the rocks suggest that they are not endemic to the region where they were found, but probably traveled a long way because although quartz is commonly found throughout the UK, this type of crystal is much rarer and can only be found in specific geologies. In that sense, it is believed that the rocks that appear to be quartz crystals were probably brought from a source located 130 kilometers from Stonehenge.
What are the ‘magical’ crystals found near Stonehenge like?
The appearance of the mysterious crystals is peculiar, as evidence suggests that they were brought as whole crystals and that later, settlers worked them as flakes, blades, and smaller cores. However, the condition of the rocks suggests that they were not used as tools, but were purposely deposited in the earthen mounds.
Overtone believes that because of the arrangement in which they were found, the crystals may have been intended to help mark burial sites and commemorate the dead of ancient peoples who inhabited the site 6,000 years ago.
He also explained that “many of the crystal fragments are prismatic and split the white light into a visible rainbow spectrum. It gives the feeling that they put a lot of emphasis on the practice of working the crystal, they considered it something distinctive and different.”
It seems that the use of the crystals was not merely a utility for the ancient locals, but represented something much more profound. Overtone himself argues that their “use would have created memorable moments that brought people together, forged local identities, and connected the living to the dead with whose remains they were deposited,” he concludes.
[Photo credit: Mike Williams]
Story originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera
