Professor: Stonehenge Perfect for Ancient Dance Parties
Monday, January 05, 2009 |
FoxNews.com
AP/National Geographic
Storm clouds gather over Stonehenge.
Storm clouds gather over Stonehenge.
Stonehenge was built as a dance arena for prehistoric raves, a university professor believes.
Dr. Rupert Till, who is also a part-time DJ, carried out experiments that he says showed the 5,000-year-old stone circle is ideal for listening to "trance" music.
Archaeologists have argued for decades over the western England Neolithic monument's purpose.
But Till, an expert in sound technology at Huddersfield University in northern England believes the stones have perfect acoustics for repetitive rhythms such as those used in some dance music.
He tested the effect using a computer model of Stonehenge and during a visit to a concrete replica built in Washington state.
And he came to the conclusion that ancient Britons shaped the stones to create special sounds.
He said: "The results were interesting. The stones are all curved and reflect sound perfectly."
