Stonehenge Was Ancient Rave Spot

News.Discovery.com Mar 10, 2013 09:00 AM ET // by AFP

Stonehenge may have been built as a graveyard and venue for mass celebrations.

English Heritage

British researchers unveiled a new theory for the origins of Stonehenge, saying the ancient stone circle was originally a graveyard and venue for mass celebrations.

The findings would overturn the long-held belief that Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in southwestern England was created as a Stone Age astronomical calendar or observatory.

A team led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson of University College London said Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is both older and had a different function than previously thought.