Solving The Mystery Of Stonehenge With Dan Snow

"Solving The Mystery Of Stonehenge With Dan Snow"

Dan Snow explores one of the most recognisable and mysterious historic sites on Earth - Stonehenge in Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

Released shortly after the origin mystery of the sarsen stones was solved, this documentary takes an in-depth look at what we know, and what we still have to discover, about this iconic Neolithic monument.

#Stonehenge #DanSnow #HistoryHit

[Fightladsnet]

As a child in the early 60's my father was stationed at Larkhill Military Camp, just to the north of Stonehenge and I remember that we often had a Sunday picnic at Stonehenge. In those days you could walk around the stones as they were not fenced off as they are today. As a child it was exciting, but obviously I had no idea of just what the place was. In fact we visited it so often it hardly seemed as if it was something so special. Over the years I've read many books about this place and get more fascinated with each new journal I digest.

[gerryb]

This is outstanding. How few presenters would allow an expert to take center stage like this. Kudos to Mr Snow for having the respect for history… to not interject himself as the “star” and simply allow the woman with the knowledge to share her work and inform viewers.

[Desmond]

A part of me loves the fact that with all our brilliant technology and minds, we still can't fully understand everything about ancient superstructures like Stonehenge or the Pyramids.
So humbling...

[cdfdesantis]

I blame Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), & Machu Picchu in Peru for inspiring my absolute PASSION for history & archeology. We still gaze on these ancient marvels with wonder.

[Cormano]

I think we give our ancestors too little credit, assuming that they were primitive and technologically underdeveloped, this optic is the reason we don't have the correct answers, humans were always very intelligent and resourceful

[princevultan]

I really enjoy listening to Dan Snow as he describes the history before him. His enthusiasm is contagious.

[tashamorriss]

I luv Dan! He's straightforward - tells it like it is, as does his Dad. Please keep shows like this coming Dan!

[prodprod]

I actually visited Stonehenge many years ago -- what none of the documentaries make clear is that there's a modern highway within spitting distance of it -- and a car park where busses full of tourists stop -- along with a gift center and other modern amenities -- which you'd never know because all of these shots very carefully are designed to exclude all of that stuff. You watch any documentary on Stonehenge, you'd really believe that it's isolated out in the middle of a plain, remote from any human habitation -- when in fact, it must be a real pain in the neck to clear all the tourists away in order to film these things.

[davidswheatley-talesfromth]

Actually, the stones have not all stood since they were first erected, as you stated. Stonehenge was repaired three times, in 1901, then a major rebuild in the 1920's and finally in 1964.

[simonmcowan]

You said without a spirit level to level the stones, water, water is always flat, the Egyptians used water troughs around the pyramids to get a common flat level.

[kevd]

I loved visiting Stonehenge. Even on the bus ride to the site I was very excited to see (burial?) mounds in the nearby area. I was very patient with my camera and waited for the crowd to shuffle in a way I wanted and the resulting pictures look like I took the pictures when no one was there when in fact there were several dozen if not more. And if you ever get the chance to take the tour, make sure you stop by Old Sarum (there might have been 8 other people there when I visited) and Salisbury Cathedral. All very magical places.

[StanSwan]

I work in construction and moving heavy objects even today is all about leverage, planning, manpower, and time. I can move an object myself that weighs many tons with a Johnson Bar. It takes time but even today after all the rigging from cranes, big truck, ships etc moving a very large heavy object into place is all about leverage.

[ModernKnight]

Fascinating stuff and inspiring to see you inside the monument like that.

[zweispurmopped]

I've had some time to think about how Stonehenge might have come together, being the old bugger I am. Here's some ideas I had over the years:
· Could the build have been a winter project, a time when people had little to do farming and gathering-wise? Suggesting they were capable of having enough resources in stock, winter would not at all be a bad time for such jobs. It's cold, so some physical work helps to keep a bum nicely cosy warm from within. Transporting heavy loads without wheels becomes easier as well on frozen ground. You may even melt some snow and pour the water on the ground in places to provide a nicely icy slipway.
· The list of tools (Stone axes, antlers, pointy sticks…) probably should be extended by fire and water. From my one visit at Stonehenge back in 1995, I remember learning that blue stone was pretty good at insulating heat, it conducts heat badly. What if erosion techniques were used to shape the stones? Let the stone sit over a fire for a week or two, and when it has heated to a temperature where it fries an egg in two seconds, a bucket of water will cool down small areas in a short time well enough to make heat difference induced tensions to crack the material locally. I guess it is possible to develop pretty good control of such a process, given some time to practice. This could explain why blue stone was the material of choice for the build.
From way back when I remember learning that similar techniques were used to break big pieces of stone from rock. Again, given some patience with the work, a mix of generating cracks in rocks by heat and water in summer an then fill the cracks with water to let ice do its work in winter would seem feasible to me.

Just some ideas from a silly sod, folks. Maybe worth spending a thought on, or maybe not. You tell me. ☺

[bdaveness]

As an American bloke who watches a lot of American history, I’m glad I found this channel where it’s just pure English history.

[hikingwiththeshackletons]

We visit Stonehenge every summer & it always has a mysterious, magical atmosphere. We love that place.

[jiggmin]

Always been fascinated by our prehistoric ancestors and how they've managed to construct these amazing monuments.

[noraelliott]

0:26 Today is August 16, 2024 - This week it has announced the altar stone was actually from Scotland from the area around Inverness to Orkney.
How and why are still a big unknown, although I am sure there are theories.
I am still astonished the top stones were lifted to the top of the vertical stones.
Totally amazing.

[grindergaming]

Loved watching your father on history channel back in the day Dan, great to see you sparking interest in history for the younger generations. Would be great to see you cover Gobekli Tepe and the other amazing sites in Turkey

[NoliMeTangere]

I find it very interesting that while the final stones of Stonehenge were being laid, North American societies were already establishing themselves in much less hospitable landscapes. Here in Arizona, we know that people lived in the Tucson valley since approximately 2600 BCE. With weather climbing up into the triple digits for 3-5 months of the year, and only a few weeks of rain per year, somehow these early humans made their homes and thrived in the harsh desert landscape. We often think about Ancient Europe or Ancient Egypt as something set apart from the rest of the world. Yet, comparing these timelines to each other, help put our humanity into perspective.