Rock legends
STONEHENGE: THE LOST CIRCLE REVEALED BBC2, 9pm
FOR generations, people have argued over the origins, meaning and true purpose of the famous bluestones of Stonehenge. “Stonehenge is Britain’s wonder of the world, surely the most iconic and mysterious structure ever constructed in the British Isles,” says Professor Alice Roberts.
But what does it all mean? How did they get there? And why were they moved?
This fascinating film tells how a team of dedicated archaeologists has unearthed an astonishing discovery, changing the history books on this prehistoric site.
A series of digs in Pembrokeshire, Wales, over the last seven years has revealed the remains of another immense stone circle, dismantled just before Stonehenge was created on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
This lost circle may unlock the answers to the true origins of Stonehenge.
Alice follows the historical quest, as experts, led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson, have compiled the evidence to fill in a 400-year gap in our knowledge.
By combining innovative 3D scanning techniques, traditional field archaeology, and novel laboratory analysis, the team has discovered when and where the stones for Stonehenge were quarried and where they first stood.
The team also runs experiments to figure out how the stones, each the size and weight of a small car, were dragged almost 150 miles.
From the grand fantasy of medieval Merlin legends, to the chemical signatures in microscopic rock fragments, it’s a compelling tale leading to the evidence.
No stone is left unturned and the revelations will rewrite the history of Stonehenge forever.