A
SPEC
SECTION FOR HONGKO
THE SECRET OF STONEHENGE
GIANT, coffin-shaped block of concrete, seven feet
six inches long and weighing nearly a ton and a half, was levered on to a crude wooden sledge.
A long rope was attached to the sledge. At regular intervals along the rope, eight wooden staves were fixed. Thirty-two boys from Canford bury where they stand today school, one
of Britain's top silhouetted against the sky. public schools, took. hold of these handles'-four boys to
'For the stones came there in each. And then, digging their the days before the invention of toes into the rich green turf of wheels and therefore in the days Salisbury Plain, they began to before carts. They were also days before Britons hasi horses and other beasts
pull.
the
In
ER
Another in the series on the worlds great mysteries By Henry Lewis
...
The stones must have been kauled on sledge
ramp
For minutes nothing happen- burden. ed. Then, slowly, the sledge began to move. Soon it was
another experiment the sliding across the turf, across concrete was lowered on to three the rolling plain, up a hill with punts fastened together to make, uprights. Then the
a kind of raft. Four boys from earth would be shovelled away. a gradient of one in 15
Bryanston, another top school.
Another method would have Then rollers
placed took up stations, one on each
They dug punt poles been the building of a crib or beneath the sledge. And now it corner.
stone would the water and sent platform. The took only 14 boys to pull it, deep into
craft floating along the have been levered up at one end though another dozen were the
It and packing put underneath it. needed to move the rollers and River Avon near Salisbury, keep the stone and the sledge was easy work. going in a straight line.
were
Ône riddle left
a test to
The purpose of it all? The
were taking boys
part in a fascinating experiment, made six years ago. It was check archaeologists' theories on how prehistoric men. 3,600-or-so years
the Stone ago in
Age. managed to bring the great slabs that make up Stonehenge to the sité eight miles north of Salis-
The 17-21
Club's five rules
of And nor did the tribes have south west Wales, because it particularly bad reputations for was regarded as а sacred being jealous of certain areas of mountain. land. So the choice must have been wide.
It is also possible that Stone- It is possible that stones were henge was later deliberately brought the long journey from ruined by enemies of its buil- Prescelly, the highest point in ders. But who were they?
Then the other end would be levered up and a support placed,
And SO schoolboys helped underneath it.
prove
150
another part of the
A platform would be built up archaeologists' theories: how the to this level, then the first end of bluestones, the smaller ones of the stone would be raised again
that form the and so on. up to four tons. inner circle of Stonehenge, could
Ancient legend have been brought from Prescelly in south-west Wales some miles away.
There is very little that the scientists cannot tell us with For from Prescelly they came, reasonable certainty of the geologists are certain that. (The larger pillars, called of Stonehenge. Except for one about fascinating story of the building
the sarsens, came from the thing. Why was it built? And Newbury-Marlborough area). that, they admit, they just do not
know.
Legend associates the Druids. were moved by water the old Celtic priests, with Stone where possible in lashed-together henge. There is no evidence dug-out canoes and towed sledges, possibly over rollers, torians believe that Stonehenge
on for this whatsoever. Some his when they had to go overland. may already have been a ruin They believe that probably by the time Druidism flourished. 1,500 men worked for ten years Certainly
they did not build
Archaeologists believe that the
stones
17-21:
CLUB MAILBOX
HK TEENAGER-MORONIC ?
AST week I gave you a suggestion from Anonymous, Kowloon-a suggestion that I felt MIGHT bring some outraged comeback from some of you members. The suggestion was that the Hongkong teenager was wholely and solely preoccupied in the latest on the hit
moronic "unthinker.” parade, the loves of Elvis Presley and generally, a
Almost immediately JOHN LEUNG took up the
to move the stones to the site. Stonehenge. And anyway, their challenge. Here is his indignant reply:
one.
1
places of worship were oak groves.
memorial to
.Present-day science has ans- wers for just about all the riddles of Stonehenge--except Another story says Stonehenge
Can you guess what that was put up as a mystery is?
British chieftains massacred by the Saxons in AD 475. But Scientists KNOW that the Stonehenge was already old by
put up between then.
Almost certainly Stonehenge
It is quite impossible to consider seriously the suggestion of that "Anonymous." I think you too must agree with me Mr Editor and all you who have read the article, if you are sensible.
He says that the Hongkong teenagers are no more than a pack of morons. If he too is a teenager than he himself must be included. And if he bas past nineteen I can prove that he is an even bigger moron. Not only a moron but a coward,
What he says about clubs and knowing movie stars and having no interest in worldly affairs is sheer nonsense.
He must surely know only the minority of teenagers.for the majority DO have an interest in scientifle development and politica and worldly affairs.
Membership in the 17-21 stones were Club is open to all 1860 B.C. and 1560 B.C. Tests
As we know. It is only through love that we see love and hate within that age group.
on red deer antlers, excavated was a temple of some sort. But we see hate. So that only a moron would see us teenagers as And from what I have read of his plece I can clearly see on the site two years ago con- what sort? Certainly, it was morons. Contributions and all ac-| firm that.
nothing like a church of today. that he is no more than that.
It may tivities of the Club will |
be that Stonehenge be limited to members how the Stone Age men split the human sacrifices.
Scientists believe they know was used for sacrifices possibly One of the only.
solid rock into the great stones, stones is known as the altar- which weigh up to 40 tons. A stone but there is no historical Contributions may consist line of men probably stood and reason for this; the name was of anything that is hurled down heavy boulders given to it by Inigo Jones the publishable articles, along a groove chipped into the architect who made the first letters, stories, photo-rock until it broke away along plan of Stonehenge in 1620. graphs, drawings, verses. But only the best will be printed.
the line.
The
-
scientists know that masons must have hewn the slabs into their final shapes with All contributions MUST hammer-stones and flint axes. be original.
Sacred mountain
Mr Anonymous has made a dangerous inference, and a faulty generalisation which I believe will leave him wide open for attack. He has no discretion in his use of words which farther proves his failure in being an intelligent person.
As for his concealment of his real name, did he think that an act of discretion? No, that is cowardice. If his assertion was right, there would be no fear of attack. So now Mr Anonymous proves that his assertion must be far from correct
So now you members, you can see that his whole plece la shear nonsense and I challenge him to prove himself a better guy than what I consider him to be.
Some historians think that the pits surrounding the stones may have been used for burials perhaps of the great men of They believe they know the the day. Written contribution stones were raised into position.
Others believe the blood of Each foundation hole, hewn out sacrificed should not consist of
aminals may have with picks made of deer antlers been poured into the holes. No more than 350 words, and shovels made of the shoul- one can be sure photographs and draw-der blades of oxen, would have Is it possible that the arrange- Well, Mr Anonymous, what do you think of a debate on any ings will only be accept-had one sloping side. The stone ment of the circles of stones had worldly affair or on a particular political personality of the present,
would be rolled up ed in black-and-white.
to it and something to do with the and if you are afraid we are going to turn all the reference Books tipped in.
shadows cast by the sun? Cer-upside down, what do you think of debating in person, face to Then a sling would be placed cast at certain times of day in
tainly some weind patterns are face?
MEMBERSHIP
Fill this in and send
it to the China' Mall, 1-3 Wyndham Street, Hongkong.
Name
Age Occupation Address
Do you not think it most ridiculous when he says that #9 per cent of us don't know the world around us? -
round the top end and ropes run early summer.
John was evidently so strongly opposed to from the sling over a two-legged support. The stone could then for the fact that the circle "walls" in which he further added.
Such a theory might account Anonymous that the next day brought a further tirade, be pulled upright by 150 to 200 were not more solid, and why
men.
And unity which these organisations bring is power. If you want to be powerful you mpat first achieve unity and not be as loose sand—as Dr Sun Yat-san once called us Chiness....-
·
As we all know, perhaps he does not, ciube and sòcistigs are Stonehenge was built so far organised to promote common good. All members have obligations: Scientists believe they know away from trees, hills and so and privileges. how the lintels, the crossbars on. that topped two uprights, were
But, why especially was put on top. A ramp of earth Salisbury picked as a site? Apart: could have been built up the from having plenty of space it side to the full height of the would seem to have been quite
unsuitable ..from uprights.
many other points of view. There must have A hundred men would have been plenty of places nearer the
I certainly am glad that I am strictly the referee in hauled the lintel up the ramp sources of stones-places just as this controversy. So far we have one up for either side. - until grooves underneath it roomy. England was hardly a notched on top of knobs on the crowded land in those days. So what about your opinion on that matter?
Unless you want to take yourself off ws a desert island and reject society altogether you must belong somewhere.-
So please consider and be sure of your own ground Mr. Anonymous