In class today Professor Watrall talked about Stonehenge and that one of the only times people are allowed access to the inside circle is during the solstice. Doing some research I found that these times have come to include lots of drinking and partying instead of more religious practices. There have been ups and downs for individuals being let into the circle of Stonehenge, and recently people have been taking their privileges too far.
The creation of Stonehenge for whatever true reason it was made, seems to be connected to the sun. EarthSky.org, “It is thought that the winter solstice was actually more important to the people who constructed Stonehenge than the summer solstice. The winter solstice was a time when most cattle were slaughtered (so they would not have to be fed during the winter) and the majority of wine and beer was finally fermente”.
However, in the recent days the Winter Solstice has become more of a partying event for the locals. Thousands of people come to visit on the Winter Solstice (as well as the Summer one), to watch the sun rise, drink, and party. Yet, this gathering has escalated to the point where caretakers of Stonehenge are stuck removing gum, graffiti, puke, feces, urine, and cans/products from the stones and the surrounding areas. The volunteers and staff are said to be ‘left in tears’ (Telegraph) after the event and are saddened by the lack of people who do not seem to care for their ancient artifacts.
Telegraph comments that, “The majority seems to have little care for an ancient monument, and utterly disrespect it. One member of staff – National Trust or English Heritage, can’t remember – whilst starting to collect the detritus, in tears, muttered: ‘364 days a year we protect and care for this place, 364 days a year, and then this happens in one night’.
Stonehenge already suffers from some erosion and has banned people from touching or climbing on the rocks anymore, as well as making people keep a certain distance while walking around it. Although they have banned people from being inside the circle once, they were forced to recall it when people began to protest and sneak in. Yet, these people are taking it to far with the vandalism and blatant littering of excrement and cans.
http://earthsky.org/earth/gallery-the-winter-solstice-as-seen-from-stonehenge
Your post regarding the winter solstice and Stonehenge is very interesting and the problems that have arisen due to the celebrations are a serious issue. Stonehenge is an ironic location and a land mark children learn to recognize at a young age. It is amazing in a way how it has been preserved for as long as it has and it would be a shame for it to be damaged before future generations can enjoy it.
The quote you used regarding a comment by a staff member really made me think about this issue even more. Over many years individuals have worked very hard preserve the structure and then two nights a year (summer and winter solstice) the site is treated like it is an everyday occurrence. While these celebrations, especially the summer solstice, have been a tradition, their detrimental effects on the structure may limit their prevalence going into the future. With so much invested in preserving the Stonehenge structure, is it really worth the damage to open the area to the public twice a year like they do? For some, these celebrations are sacred but for many, these are just another opportunity to party and consequently inflict damage on the rocks and area surrounding them.
Before, the summer solstice was the primary time of celebration and with the winter solstice being associated with only a small group. However, as you said the winter solstice is becoming more popular and with that, there is another day of each year that is detrimental to the Stonehenge structure. While these traditions related to Stonehenge have a long history and are enjoyed by many people, there detrimental effects on the structure must be questioned and new plans established if the structure is going to preserved as best possible going into the future.
The topic for my blog post was similar to yours though mine was about the gatherings at stonehenge for the summer solstice. In my research I also came across all the troubles that occur during these gatherings and how much destruction occurs to stonehenge and the surrounding areas. I really think it is a horrible how much littering and vandalism occurs but I really think that it is a special time and that it is important to allow people to visit stonehenge during the solstices. One main argument that I found for continuing to allow people into stonehenge during the solstice was that it was gathering place for thousands of years therefore people should continue to be able to gather there. I think this is a valid point though if people are going to destroy such a valuable and historic monument maybe it should be restricted. But for now I think the least that can be done is setting restrictions on what can be brought to stonehenge and maybe creating a more sanitized environment with bathrooms and other facilities such as trash cans. And I realize that most people would still ignore these and I’m sure some form of these are already in place I think that rules should be more strongly enforced. But I still believe that it is important allow people to gather. Because thought we don’t know exactly what stonehenge was used for in the past, one thing we do know is that it was a place for people to gather. Whether is was for spiritual, astrological or even musical reasons people came together at stonehenge.