Stonehenge A Neolithic Beacon: Design Imitates Star

By Erica Neumann

stonehenge neolithic beacon neolithic art star people fire fire ring

When lit from within with one large fire or multiple fires, and observed from above, the standing stones that comprise Stonehenge split the light rays creating a radiating effect similar in appearance to a star.
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Neolithic People did not know what stars were and may have related to them as fires in the sky. Stonehenge may have been created by the Neolithic to call attention to their existence and position, with their own star shaped fire, big enough to be seen by perceived celestial neighbors. Contemporary civilizations do the same with satellites.

Additionally, the ringing of the stones may have also served to catch attention through sound.

This explains the size of Stonehenge, gives purpose to the lintels, and accounts for the foreign remains at the site, as a beacon that large would indeed attract curious people from nearby lands. The fires would also provide opportunity to cremate remains and incorporate ritual. The lunar based motifs present in their art support a preoccupation with the sky.

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