Original subtitles

Clive: THIS WEEK MARY-ANN AND I TRY TO CRACK

\h\hONE OF BRITAIN’S GREATEST MYSTERIES.

\h\h\hSTONEHENGE. WHAT’S THE POINT?

Mary-Ann: IT’S A BIT LIKE LEGO.

Clive: OH.

\h\h\h\hWE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST THEORIES...

Mary-Ann: STONEHENGE IS FOUNDED BY A COW.

...FACE CHILLING SURPRISES...

SO, THESE ARE NAZI COWS?

Clive: ...AND TRY OUT AUTHENTIC STONE AGE BUILDING TECHNIQUES...

\hSO THIS COMES FROM NOT THE COPPER AGE;

THIS IS FROM THE B&Q AGE.

\h\h\hMary-Ann: ...WHILE I’LL BE PUTTING THE EXPERTS ON THE SPOT.

THE BEAKER PEOPLE \hBUGGERED IT UP.

Man: YEAH, THEY DID.

Clive: WELCOME TO BRITAIN’S \h\h\hMOST MYSTIC MONUMENT.

♪

THE BRITISH ISLES HAVE \hA VERY LONG HISTORY.

\h\hPEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

AND THE FURTHER BACK YOU GO,

THE MORE ELUSIVE AND MYSTERIOUS

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE LIVES OF THOSE ANCIENT BRITONS APPEAR TO BE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITCHES. DO YOU BELIEVE IN WITCHES?

Mary-Ann: I THINK I DO.

\h\h\hClive: WHO WERE THESE ANCIENT BRITONS?

WHAT DID THEY BELIEVE?

WHAT WAS THEIR WORLD LIKE?

Mary-Ann: ARE YOU A FAN \h\hOF HUMAN SACRIFICE?

\h\h\hClive: I DON’T PRACTICE IT MYSELF.

AS A TALK SHOW HOST,

I SHOULD KNOW HOW TO ASK \h\h\h\hA GOOD QUESTION.

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO, MARY-ANN?

Mary-Ann: CLIVE, WE ARE OFF \h\h\h\h\h\hON AN ADVENTURE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: BUT ANSWERS ARE NOT REALLY MY STRONG SUIT.

MUMMIES OR NOT MUMMIES?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: IT’S A TRICKY ONE, ISN’T IT?

[BLARING]

Clive: SO I’VE ROPED IN

SOMEONE WITH MORE INSIGHT \h\hINTO THE ANCIENT WORLD

THAN I’LL EVER HAVE--

ANTHROPOLOGIST MARY-ANN OCHOTA.

\hClive: OLD BONES, LOOKING AT THE PAST,

YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, DON’T YOU?

Mary-Ann: I LIKE TO ASK A LOT \hOF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PAST.

Clive: TOGETHER WE’RE GOING TO \h\hUNLOCK THE MYSTIC SECRETS

OF THE ANCIENT BRITONS.

\hMary-Ann: I’VE DECIDED TO HARNESS THE FORCES OF EVIL.

\hPREPARE TO EMBRACE THE VERY ODD INDEED.

\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: RIGHT. I’M READY FOR ALL COMERS.

♪

Clive: STONEHENGE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hONE OF THE MOST ICONIC PLACES IN THE WORLD.

OVER A MILLION PEOPLE

\h\h\h\h\hARE DRAWN TO THIS ANCIENT MONUMENT EVERY YEAR,

INCLUDING TOURISTS, ACADEMICS...

AND TV PRESENTERS.

IS IT MAGICAL?

A RELIGIOUS TEMPLE?

A CELESTIAL CLOCK?

IT CERTAINLY WASN’T A PRISON.

\h\h\h\h\hI MEAN, EVEN I COULD ESCAPE FROM THAT.

WHY WAS STONEHENGE BUILT?

AND WHY WAS IT BUILT RIGHT HERE?

WELL, NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW.

THE ONLY THING WE DO KNOW,

\h\h\hAND DON’T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY, WILTSHIRE,

\h\h\hIS THAT IT WAS BUILT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

SALISBURY PLAIN IS A VAST, \hEMPTY PATCH OF GRASSLAND

\h\h\hABOUT 90 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LONDON.

WHAT WAS THIS PLACE?

AND WHY,

\h\h\hTHOUSANDS OF YEARS AFTER THE CIVILIZATION THAT BUILT IT

IS LOST IN THE MISTS OF TIME,

ARE PEOPLE STILL DRAWN HERE?

\h\h\hARCHAEOLOGIST MIKE PARKER PEARSON

IS ONE OF THEM.

HE’S SPENT MORE THAN TWO DECADES

\h\h\h\hTRYING TO DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE STONES.

\h\hWE’VE GOT SPECIAL PERMISSION TO GET FAR CLOSER TO THE STONES

THAN MOST TOURISTS EVER CAN.

WELL, MIKE, YOU’RE GONNA UNWRAP

SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF STONEHENGE FOR ME.

WHERE DO THESE STONES COME FROM?

Mike Parker Pearson: \hWELL, THE BIG ONES

THAT ARE CALLED SARSENS,

THEY’RE A TYPE OF SANDSTONE,

AND WE THINK THAT THEY COME FROM ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY.

THAT’S THE MARLBOROUGH DOWNS,

NEAR THE GREAT STONE CIRCLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF AVEBURY.

Clive: RIGHT,

BUT THAT’S QUITE A DISTANCE \h\h\hTO BRING THESE THINGS.

Mike: SOME OF THESE ARE NEARLY 30 TONS.

Clive: YEAH.

Mike: SO A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT IN A WAY, DWARFED BY THE DISTANCE

MOVED BY THE LITTLE ONES HERE.

\hTHESE ARE KNOWN AS THE BLUESTONES,

AND THEIR ORIGIN IS 180 MILES \h\h\h\h\hAWAY TO THE WEST...

Clive: YEAH.

Mike: IN SOUTHWEST WALES.

Clive: SO THAT’S QUITE A DISTANCE, OBVIOUSLY.

AND ALL BROUGHT HOW?

THERE WEREN’T LORRIES,

THERE WEREN’T HORSES AND CARTS \h\h\h\hOR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMike: YEAH, NO, NO WHEELED VEHICLES.

Clive: NO.

ACCORDING TO MIKE,

\h\hTHESE BLUESTONES WEIGH BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR TONS,

AND WHILE THEY MIGHT BE DWARFED BY THE MIGHTY SARSEN STONES,

\h\hI’D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY TO DRAG THEM 180 MILES FROM WALES

WITHOUT WHEELS.

\h\h\h\hMike: AND IT’S THE ONLY MEGALITHIC MONUMENT IN THE WORLD

REALLY THAT ACTUALLY HAS \h\h\hITS RAW MATERIALS

\h\h\hBROUGHT FROM SUCH EXTRAORDINARY DISTANCES.

NEOLITHIC PEOPLE ACROSS EUROPE,

THEY NEVER MOVED ANY OF THEIR \h\hSTONES MORE THAN 10 MILES.

Clive: TYPICAL BRITS,

\h\hALWAYS MAKING LIFE HARDER FOR THEMSELVES.

MAYBE IF WE’D SPENT LESS TIME \h\h\h\hSHIFTING GIANT STONES,

\h\h\h\hWE COULD’VE GOT ON WITH INVENTING THE WHEEL.

\hIF WE JUST LOOK AT THESE SARSEN STONES,

\h\hYOU SAY THEY’RE 25, MAYBE 30 TONS IN WEIGHT?

\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU’VE GOT FURTHER STONES ON TOP.

THEY’RE ALSO SARSEN STONES, \h\h\h\h\h\hARE THEY, THOSE?

Mike: THAT’S RIGHT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: SO HOW HAVE THEY DONE THAT?

Mike: THE SIMPLEST ANSWER \h\hIS THAT NOBODY KNOWS.

Clive: YEAH.

THAT’S BEEN THE ANSWER

TO VIRTUALLY EVERY QUESTION \hI’VE ASKED IN THIS PROGRAM

AND THIS SERIES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h[LAUGHS] YOU KNOW! YOU KNOW!

Mike: WELL, I’VE GOT SOME IDEAS.

I THINK IF YOU BRING IN A RAMP

AND YOU’RE PULLING IT \h\h\h\hUP THE INCLINE

AND THEN YOU JUST DIG THE SOIL AWAY

ONCE YOU’VE REACHED THE TOP

AND THEN THE STONE \h\hCOMES TO REST.

Clive: CLEVER,

BUT IT’S A GOOD 5,000 YEARS

SINCE STONE AGE MAN BEGAN BUILDING HERE,

\h\hAND STONEHENGE IS DEFINITELY SHOWING ITS AGE HERE AND THERE.

♪

SO, WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE \h\h\hBACK IN ITS HEYDAY?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO ANSWER THAT, I’VE INSISTED WE GO TO A PUB.

\h\hIT’S THIRSTY WORK, THIS MYSTERY SOLVING.

AH, RIGHT.

SO, THIS IS STONEHENGE?

\h\hMIKE WANTS TO SHOW ME A DETAILED RECONSTRUCTION,

\h\hBUILT ENTIRELY OUT OF CHILDREN’S WOODEN BLOCKS,

\h\h\hWHICH IS ABOUT AS FAR AS OUR BUDGET WOULD STRETCH.

WE NEEDN’T BOTHERED GOING \hTO THE REAL STONEHENGE.

\h\h\h\hWE COULD’VE JUST FILMED THIS IN CLOSE-UP.

\h\hUM, BUT THIS IS NOT STONEHENGE AS IT IS NOW.

\hMike: SO THIS WAS BUILT SOMEWHERE AROUND 2000 B.C.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: AND THEY LIKED THIS AND SAID

LET’S MAKE IT OUT OF STONE NOW.

Mike: YES.

Clive: ONLY BIGGER.

SO HOW DID THEY COME UP \hWITH THIS ARRANGEMENT?

Mike: WELL, IT’S ACTUALLY

\h\h\h\h\h\hHUNDREDS OF YEARS OF EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT,

SO THIS IS FOUR STAGES IN,

AND WE CAN GO BACK IN TIME \h\h\h\h\h\h\hQUITE SIMPLY

BECAUSE STAGE THREE,

\hTHESE BLUESTONES WERE ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE...

Clive: OK.

Mike: STAGE TWO...

SO WE JUST HAVE...

Clive: NEW BLUESTONES.

Mike: A SINGLE ARRANGEMENT.

AND THEN IF WE WANT TO GO BACK \h\h\h\h\hTO THE FIRST STAGE,

5,000 YEARS AGO,

LET’S TAKE THEM AWAY...

LET ME KNOCK SOME DOWN.

Clive: YEAH, LET’S GO CRAZY.

Mike: AND THEN WE MOVE THESE \h\h\hALL THE WAY OUT HERE.

Clive: OK, AND THAT’S WHAT \h\h\hIT STARTED OFF LIKE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMike: AND THAT’S HOW IT STARTED OFF.

Clive: GOT IT?

NO, I DIDN’T EITHER,

SO I HAD TO LOOK IT UP \h\h\h\h\h\hIN A BOOK.

AROUND 5,000 YEARS AGO,

THEY BUILT THE FIRST HUGE CIRCLE

WITH THE WELSH BLUESTONE.

500 YEARS LATER THEY RENOVATED,

MOVING THE BLUESTONES \h\h\hINTO THE CENTER

\h\h\h\hAND INTRODUCING THE LARGE SARSEN STONES

TO MAKE THE CLASSIC ARCHES AND LINTELS.

STILL NOT SATISFIED,

300 YEARS AFTER THAT

THEY DECIDED TO REARRANGE \h\hTHE BLUESTONES AGAIN.

OK.

\h\h\hSO WE NOW KNOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.

\hBUT WE DON’T KNOW WHO BUILT IT OR WHY.

ANY THOUGHTS, MARY-ANN?

Mary-Ann: THE TRUTH IS, CLIVE,

NO ONE’S REALLY SURE

\h\h\h\h\hWHAT THE BUILDERS OF STONEHENGE WERE THINKING,

AND THAT’S LEFT THE DOOR OPEN \hFOR SOME INTERESTING IDEAS.

ACCORDING TO SOME PEOPLE,

STONEHENGE WAS BUILT BY DRUIDS.

IT WASN’T.

THAT’S AN 18th-CENTURY \h\h\h\hMISCONCEPTION.

OTHER PEOPLE THINK

\hIT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL TECHNOLOGY.

IT DOESN’T.

THAT’S A 20th-CENTURY \h\h\h\hMISCONCEPTION.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THEORIES IS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hACCORDING TO A MEDIEVAL WRITER CALLED WACE,

\hTHIS THING WAS BUILT BY MERLIN THE MAGICIAN

WITH THE HELP OF A GIANT.

LOOK, THERE’S MERLIN THE WIZARD

INSTRUCTING THE GIANT TO LIFT UP ONE OF THE LINTEL STONES,

\hBUT THE GIANT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE CHILD’S PLAY.

BUT IF YOU’RE IN THE MARKET FOR A MORE PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION,

THERE’S PLENTY TO CHOOSE FROM.

EXPERTS ARE STILL ARGUING

OVER WHETHER STONEHENGE \h\hWAS A BURIAL GROUND,

A SOLAR OBSERVATORY,

OR A STAGE FOR STONE AGE, \h\h\h\hUM, ROCK CONCERTS.

\hANYWAY, YOU GET THE GENERAL IDEA.

THERE ARE MORE THEORIES \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAN FACTS.

DESPITE THE DEBATE,

\h\h\h\hTHERE IS ONE THING THAT EVERYBODY AGREES ON--

\h\h\hIT HAD SOME KIND OF CEREMONIAL PURPOSE,

A MYSTIC PURPOSE.

BUT WHAT WAS IT?

WELL, PARTS OF THE ANSWER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THAT

MAY LIE WITH THE BLUESTONES

THAT FORMED THE EARLIEST VERSION OF STONEHENGE.

OR RATHER UNDER THEM.

♪

\h\h\h\h56 HOLES AROUND THE EDGE OF THE MONUMENT

\h\h\hMARK THE SITES WHERE THE BLUESTONES ONCE STOOD.

THEY WERE DISCOVERED IN THE 17th CENTURY

BY A CHAP CALLED JOHN AUBREY.

THEY’RE KNOWN AS--WAIT FOR IT--

AUBREY HOLES.

WHO’D HAVE GUESSED IT?

AT SOME POINT

STONE AGE RENOVATORS MOVED THE BLUESTONES

BUT NOT WHAT WAS BENEATH THEM.

\h\hChristie Willis: OK, SO HERE WE HAVE

SOME OF THE HALF A MILLION \h\h\h\h\hBONE FRAGMENTS.

Mary-Ann: HALF A MILLION?

Christie: YES, YES. THERE’S A LOT HERE.

Mary-Ann: THE BONES WERE FOUND \h\h\hIN SEVERAL OF THE HOLES

BY ARCHAEOLOGIST WILLIAM HAWLEY IN THE 1920s.

NOW, HAWLEY’S APPROACH

\hTO PRESERVING A SITE FOR HISTORICAL PURITY

DIFFERS A TEENY BIT \h\h\hFROM TODAY’S.

\h\h\h\hHE ACTUALLY REBUILT PART OF STONEHENGE USING...

\h\h\hWELL, LET’S JUST SAY NON-STONE AGE TECHNIQUES.

AND FOLLOWING THE SAME SLIGHTLY CASUAL APPROACH TO ARCHAEOLOGY,

\h\h\h\hALL THE BONES FROM THE DIFFERENT AUBREY HOLES

WERE DUMPED INTO ONE HOLE \h\h\hWHEN THEY WERE DONE.

IN ONE FELL SWOOP,

THEY TOTALLY SCUPPERED THE WORK

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF FUTURE STONEHENGE ARCHAEOLOGISTS.

THIS IS ALL CREMATED BONE?

Christie: YES.

Mary-Ann: EXTRAORDINARY.

\h\h\h\hIT LOOKS LIKE AN UNSOLVABLE PUZZLE.

CHRISTIE WILLIS HAS SPENT \h\h\h\hTHE LAST SIX YEARS

TRYING TO SOLVE IT

AND CURSING HAWLEY’S NAME \h\h\h\h\hWITH EVERY BONE.

AND LET’S FACE IT--

THERE ARE A LOT OF BONES.

SERIOUSLY, THIS WOMAN \h\hDESERVES A MEDAL.

CRIKEY, YOU’RE A SUPERWOMAN.

HOW MANY PEOPLE IS THAT?

AND HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GO ABOUT WORKING OUT...

OH, WOW, LOOK AT THIS, CHRISTIE.

MY GOSH!

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hChristie: YES, IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.

WE HAVE, BASED ON HAWLEY’S \h\h\hEXCAVATION DIARIES,

\h\h\h\hABOUT 60 PEOPLE BURIED AT AUBREY HOLES,

\hSO MY JOB WAS TO TRY TO ISOLATE THESE INDIVIDUALS.

NOW, I MANAGED TO ISOLATE 26.

I WAS ABLE TO FIND 21 ADULT \h\hAND THEN FIVE CHILDREN.

Mary-Ann: WOW.

Christie: SO WE HAVE A FETUS,

AN INFANT,

A YOUNG CHILD, AN OLD CHILD,

AND A TEENAGER.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: WHEN DID THESE DATE FROM?

Christie: THEY START TO DATE \h\h\h\hFROM AROUND 3000 BC

TO ABOUT 2500 BC.

Mary-Ann: AND THESE WERE ALL DISCOVERED IN THE EMPTY PITS

\h\hTHAT THE BLUESTONES USED TO BE STANDING IN?

Christie: EMPTY PITS BUT ALSO \h\hBESIDE THE HOLES AS WELL.

Mary-Ann: OH, INTERESTING.

MOST OF THE CREMATED BONES

\h\h\h\h\hWERE FOUND UNDER WHERE THE BLUESTONES ORIGINALLY STOOD.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT, COMBINED WITH RADIO CARBON DATING,

\hPROVES THAT MANY WERE BURIED AT THE SAME TIME

STONE AGE BRITONS

\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE CONSTRUCTING THE ORIGINAL BLUESTONE CIRCLE.

\hDOES THAT SUGGEST THEY’RE SOME KIND OF GRAVE MARKERS?

Christie: NO, NOT NECESSARILY.

IT’S MORE OF A STONE CIRCLE

\h\h\hIN WHICH WE HAVE A CREMATION CEMETERY,

\h\hBECAUSE WE HAVE CREMATIONS IN OTHER AREAS OF STONEHENGE.

\hMary-Ann: SO THE BLUESTONES ARE LESS INDIVIDUAL HEADSTONES

AND MORE MARKERS FOR AN AREA \h\h\hDEDICATED TO THE DEAD.

\hARE THESE PEOPLE BEING CREMATED AT STONEHENGE?

Christie: THERE’S NO EVIDENCE \hFOR ANY PYRES AT STONEHENGE.

SO WHAT’S PROBABLY HAPPENING

\h\h\hIS THAT THEY WERE BEING CREMATED ELSEWHERE

AND BEING BROUGHT TO STONEHENGE.

\h\h\hMary-Ann: SO THIS IS A SORT OF STONE AGE BYOB,

BRING YOUR OWN BONES.

IS THERE ANY WAY OF US KNOWING \h\h\h\hWHERE THEY CAME FROM?

\h\hChristie: SO WE’VE DONE STRONTIUM ISOTOPE ANALYSIS.

\hWE CAN SEE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS,

15 OF THEM CAME FROM THE STONEHENGE AREA,

FIVE CAME FROM WEST WALES,

AND FIVE ARE WHAT WE CALL \h\h\hA MOVING POPULATION,

SO THEY’RE MOVING BETWEEN STONEHENGE AND WEST WALES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: WEST WALES BEING THE PLACE

\h\h\h\h\hWHERE THE BLUESTONES COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Christie: EXACTLY.

\h\hSO THERE’S STILL A STRONG CONNECTION

WITH STONEHENGE TO WEST WALES.

Mary-Ann: HANG ON A TICK.

WEST WALES?

THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE MERLIN \h\h\hSUPPOSEDLY CAME FROM.

MAYBE THERE’S SOMETHING TO THE MERLIN AND GIANT STORY

AFTER ALL...

ASSUMING YOU IGNORE THE FACT

\h\hTHAT HE’S TOTALLY FICTIONAL, OF COURSE.

SO, JUST TO RECAP,

THE STONEHENGE WE SEE TODAY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS WHERE IT IS

BECAUSE OF AN ORIGINAL, PRETTY \hMODEST CIRCLE OF BLUESTONES,

AND THE BLUESTONES ARE THERE

BECAUSE PEOPLE BOTHERED \h\h\h\h\h\hTO DRAG THEM

ALMOST 200 MILES FROM WEST WALES,

\h\h\hALONG WITH THE REMAINS OF THEIR MOST REVERED DEAD.

IT’S MIND-BOGGLING, ISN’T IT?

\h\h\hBUT IT LEADS US TO THE REALLY BIG QUESTION.

\hWHAT ON EARTH IS IT ABOUT SALISBURY PLAIN

THAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL?

Clive: ACCORDING TO MIKE PARKER PEARSON,

THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION \h\h\h\h\hCAN BE FOUND HERE.

NO, NOT THERE.

HERE.

\hA MUST-SEE LOCATION THAT MOST VISITORS MISS OUT ON,

THE OLD CAR PARK.

NO, SERIOUSLY.

\h\hSO, MIKE, OBVIOUSLY THE TOURISTS ARRIVE HERE

AND THEY’RE ALL GOING \h\hTO SEE STONEHENGE,

AS WELL THEY MIGHT.

BUT YOU’VE BROUGHT ME TO SEE...

WELL, I CAN SEE WHAT IT IS, \h\h\hBECAUSE IT’S LABELED.

THE MESOLITHIC POST HOLE.

Mike: YES.

Clive: ANYTHING TO DO WITH SENDING LETTERS?

Mike: NOT AT ALL.

THERE ARE THREE OF THEM,

AND THEY’RE ROUGHLY IN A LINE.

Clive: HMM, YOU CAN SEE WHY THE TOURISTS

\h\h\hAREN’T EXACTLY RUSHING TO SEE THIS.

Mike: SO, POST HOLES,

THEY OBVIOUSLY HELD POSTS,

\hBUT IT’S THE MESOLITHIC THAT’S THE UNUSUAL THING,

\h\h\h\h\hBECAUSE THIS IS FROM THE TIME OF HUNTER GATHERERS,

ALMOST 10,000 YEARS AGO,

\hAND HUNTER GATHERERS ARE NOT KNOWN FOR BUILDING MONUMENTS.

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT’S WHAT NEOLITHIC FARMERS DID.

SO...

\h\h\h\hClive: SO, NEOLITHIC IS OBVIOUSLY NEW STONE AGE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMESOLITHIC IS A MIDDLE STONE AGE.

Mike: YEAH.

Clive: GOT IT?

THE NEOLITHIC PEOPLES \h\hBUILT STONEHENGE,

BUT THE MESOLITHIC \hHUNTER GATHERERS

BUILT THESE POSTS FIRST,

5,000 YEARS EARLIER.

DO TRY AND KEEP UP.

\hTHEY’RE HUNTER GATHERERS, BUT THEY’VE GOT POST HOLES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMike: BUT THEY’VE GOT POST HOLES.

THEY’RE BUILDING MONUMENTS,

\h\h\h\hAND THAT IS VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF IN WESTERN EUROPE.

Clive: SO, MAYBE THE TOURISTS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE MISSING OUT.

\h\h\h\h\hEVERYONE’S IMPRESSED BY HOW ANCIENT STONEHENGE IS,

BUT THESE UNASSUMING HOLES

REPRESENT A MONUMENT \h5,000 YEARS OLDER,

WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

SO THIS IS THE POST HOLE, BUT HOW BIG WAS THE POST?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMike: ALMOST A METER IN DIAMETER...

Clive: RIGHT.

Mike: ...MADE OUT OF PINE,

SO FROM THE DIAMETER,

\h\hWE’RE LOOKING AT A TREE THAT WOULD’VE BEEN UP ABOUT

12 METERS IN HEIGHT OR HIGHER.

Clive: SO A TELEGRAPH POLE \h\h\hOR EVEN MORE MAYBE?

Mike: A FAT TELEGRAPH POLE.

Clive: SO WHAT ARE THEY PUTTING

\h\h\h\hA GREAT BIG POLE IN THE GROUND FOR, THEN?

Mike: OUR GUESS IS THAT THESE \h\h\hACTUALLY ARE ATTRACTORS

\h\h\hTO SAY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PLACE.

Clive: SO IT’S A BIT LIKE \hA MESOLITHIC BILLBOARD.

BUT WHY?

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS AREA

THAT ATTRACTED PEOPLE \hIN THE FIRST PLACE?

IT’S NOT BESIDE A RIVER.

IT’S NOT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN.

IT’S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

SO, WHAT ON EARTH DREW PEOPLE HERE?

[MOOING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: THE ANSWER TO THAT, CLIVE...

[MOOING]

...IS COWS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST \hPAINTINGS IN EXISTENCE.

IT’S FROM THE LASCAUX CAVES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN FRANCE,

AND IT SHOWS A WILD HORSE FACING OFF TO A WILD COW.

THESE ARE KNOWN AS AUROCHS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND THEY WERE ABOUT TWICE THE SIZE OF MODERN COWS.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE STONEHENGE,

THE AUROCHS WERE ALSO ROAMING \h\h\hACROSS SALISBURY PLAIN,

AND IT’S THESE LARGE COWS

THAT ARCHAEOLOGIST \hJIM LEARY THINKS

MAY HAVE BROUGHT PEOPLE HERE \h\h\h\hIN THE FIRST PLACE.

\hSO, JIM, WHAT WOULD THIS PLACE HAVE BEEN LIKE 10,000 YEARS AGO?

\h\h\h\hJim Leary: WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT AFTER THE LAST ICE AGE,

A LOT OF BRITAIN DEVELOPED \h\hQUITE THICK WOODLAND.

THE EVIDENCE SEEMS TO SUGGEST \h\h\h\hON THE SALISBURY PLAIN

THAT IT WAS A LOT MORE OPEN,

QUITE DISTINCTIVELY OPEN, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN FACT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: SO, PRETTY MUCH LIKE IT IS NOW,

BUT WITH ADDED GIANT COWS.

Jim: YOU CAN IMAGINE IT BEING

QUITE AN ATTRACTIVE \h\hPLACE, ACTUALLY,

FOR AUROCHS AND OTHER \h\h\hGRAZING ANIMALS

TO COME AND USE THIS AREA,

AND OF COURSE THAT IN TURN \h\h\hWILL ATTRACT PEOPLE.

Mary-Ann: OK, SO I GET THAT HUNTER GATHERERS

WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE GAME

\hAND THEY’D COME TO THIS BIG OPEN PLAIN

AND KIND OF THINK, \hALRIGHT, GET IN,

THAT’S A LOT OF DINNER FOR US, \h\h\hTHAT’S A LOT OF STEAKS.

BUT WHY THEN WOULD THEY BE \h\hERECTING TOTEM POLES?

Jim: WELL, WE DON’T KNOW.

I MEAN, ARE THEY MARKING \hGOOD HUNTING GROUNDS,

\hOR ARE THEY MARKING SOME OTHER ALIGNMENT?

DOES IT HAVE RITUAL VALUE

OR MORE ECONOMIC, \hPRACTICAL VALUE?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHESE ARE THE REALLY BIG QUESTIONS.

\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: DO YOU THINK THERE’S A LINK, A DIRECT LINK,

BETWEEN THE STONEHENGE \h\h\h\h\hWE SEE TODAY

AND THOSE MESOLITHIC POST HOLES?

Jim: I THINK THE LANDSCAPE \h\hPROBABLY IS THE LINK,

AND IT SHOWS HOW THESE PEOPLE \h\h\h\h\h\hARE ACTUALLY TIED

\h\hTO THEIR LANDSCAPE AND TIED TO PARTICULAR PLACES.

\hMary-Ann: I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ONE OF THE BEASTS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT DREW THE HUNTER GATHERERS HERE.

PROBLEM IS, THEY’VE BEEN \hEXTINCT FOR 400 YEARS.

BUT THAT DIDN’T STOP \h\h\hJURASSIC PARK,

AND IT HASN’T STOPPED US.

AND IT’S ALL THANKS TO--

YOU’RE NEVER GONNA \hGUESS THIS ONE--

THE NAZIS.

[CATTLE LOWING]

I’VE COME TO THE DEVON FARM \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF DEREK GOW

AND HIS TRULY ENORMOUS CATTLE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: SO, DEREK, IS THIS AN AUROCHS?

Derek Gow: NO, THEY’RE A MIMIC \hOF WHAT AUROCHS LOOKED LIKE

BASED ON OUR UNDERSTANDING \h\h\h\h\h\hFROM HISTORY.

Mary-Ann: OUR PICTURES

DON’T DO THESE MAGNIFICENT \h\h\h\hCREATURES JUSTICE.

\h\h\h\hTHEY ARE TRULY GINORMOUS IF YOU GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

WHICH I’D RATHER NOT DO

\h\h\h\hAS THEY CAN BE EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE.

BASICALLY, DON’T MESS \hWITH THESE COWS, OK?

BUT IF AUROCHS ARE EXTINCT, \h\hWHAT EXACTLY ARE THESE?

THAT IS WHERE THE NAZIS COME IN.

\h\hDerek: THESE ARE ANIMALS THAT ARE CALLED HECK CATTLE,

AND THEY WERE MADE \hBY TWO BOTHERS,

HEINZ AND LUTZ HECK,

\h\hBETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WAR.

HEINZ AND LUTZ HECK WERE \hINTERESTED IN THE IDEA

THAT IF THE DOMESTIC RELATIVES \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF A WILD ANIMAL

WERE STILL PRESENT,

THAT YOU COULD SELECT \hFOR THE WILD GENES,

\h\h\h\hAND BY DOING SO, REBREED THE WILD ANIMAL.

Mary-Ann: RIGHT, SO SORT OF LIKE REVERSE ENGINEER EVOLUTION.

\h\h\hDerek: AND THIS BACK-BREEDING PROGRAM

WAS SUPPORTED BY HIMMLER \h\h\h\h\hAND BY GÖRING,

WHO WAS THE HUNTS REICH MARSHAL FOR THE THIRD REICH.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: SO, THESE ARE NAZI COWS?

[MOO]

Derek: WELL, I WOULDN’T LIKE TO COMMENT ON THEIR POLITICS,

BUT THAT’S CERTAINLY THE LEGACY THEY’RE DRAWN FROM, YES.

\h\hMary-Ann: SO THE NAZIS WANTED TO SORT OF GO BACK

TO THE ANCIENT PURE BREED \hTHAT WAS HERE BEFORE...

\h\hDerek: YEAH, THEY HAD AN INTEREST IN REWILDINGS.

\h\h\hTHEIR VISION OF REWILDING WAS THAT YOU TOOK HALF OF POLAND

AND YOU CLEARED IT OF PEOPLE,

\h\hYOU RETURNED IT TO PRIMEVAL FOREST,

AND IN THAT FOREST

YOU HAD THE GREAT ANIMALS \h\h\hOF THE OLD LEGENDS,

\hAND THEY WANTED ANIMALS THAT WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE.

[MOO]

\hMary-Ann: AND THIS IS WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH.

SO IF THEY’RE BEING BRED \h\hTO GO BACK TO THAT,

YOU KNOW, THAT ANCIENT CATTLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE LEGENDS,

THAT HUNTERS CAN TEST THEIR METTLE AGAINST,

\h\h\hDOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU’RE DEALING

\h\h\h\h\hWITH MASSIVE, VERY AGGRESSIVE CATTLE?

Derek: THESE ONES ARE WORKABLE.

\h\hWHEN WE BROUGHT THE ORIGINAL ONES IN

FROM HOLLAND AND BELGIUM,

\h\h\h\hSOME OF THEM WERE VERY DANGEROUS,

\hAND WE HAD ONE COW WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL.

SHE LOOKED LIKE A CAVE PAINTING

THAT HAD LIVED AND BREATHED \h\hAND STOOD OFF THE WALL,

\h\h\h\h\hBUT SHE WAS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.

SO WE COULD NOT KEEP \hANIMALS LIKE THIS.

THESE ONES ARE JUMPY,

BUT YOU CAN SEE WE’RE STANDING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hRELATIVELY NEAR

\hTO THE, THIS COW THAT’S BEHIND US,

AND THIS LARGE BULL \hTHAT’S OVER HERE,

\h\h\hAND AS LONG AS WE DON’T MAKE A LOT OF FUSS

\h\h\hAND AS LONG AS WE’RE NOT WHERE THEY WANT TO BE

WHEN THEY WANT TO RUN AWAY,

\h\h\hWE DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM.

Mary-Ann: I’M MORE CONCERNED

THAT I’M NOW WEARING \h\h\hA RED JACKET.

Derek: I’M SURE IT WON’T BE \h\h\h\h\hYOUR LAST EPISODE.

[LAUGHING]

Mary-Ann: BUT SERIOUSLY,

WHAT COULD HAVE PERSUADED DEREK

\hTO KEEP A HERD OF DANGEROUS NAZI COWS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

MMM. MMM.

Derek: YOU CAN SEE WHY \hPEOPLE HUNTED THEM.

Mary-Ann: MM. MMM.

\h\hWE’RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH FLINT TOOLS,

POSSIBLY THEN BRONZE AGE METAL TOOLS AND WEAPONS.

\h\hBUT HOW HARD DO YOU THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN

\hTO GO OUT AS A HUNTING PARTY WITH SPEARS, BOWS, AND ARROWS

TO KILL THESE ANIMALS?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDerek: THAT’S WHAT THESE PEOPLE DID.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY WERE INCREDIBLY SOPHISTICATED

WHEN IT CAME TO HUNTING ANIMALS.

YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT HAVE \h\h\hRUN THEM INTO SWAMPS

\h\h\h\h\hSO THE ANIMALS WERE CHASED INTO AN AREA

WHERE THEY COULDN’T \h\h\h\hMOVE EASILY,

THEN THESE HUGE, HEAVY CREATURES WERE JUST FLOUNDERING AROUND.

\h\h\h\h\hTHEN YOU WENT IN AND YOU FINISHED THEM OFF,

WITH LITTLE DANGER TO YOURSELF.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: IT IS A LITTLE BIT STRANGE

\h\h\h\hSHARING A DINNER TABLE WITH THE ANIMAL YOU’RE EATING,

BUT I’D LIKE TO PAY HONOR AND \hHOMAGE TO THIS MIGHTY ANIMAL

\hWHO TURNED OUT TO BE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

[MOO]

♪

IT’S AS GOOD A THEORY \hAS ANY, I SUPPOSE--

THE IDEA THAT ENORMOUS COWS

ARE DRAWN TO A PARTICULAR \hSPOT ON SALISBURY PLAIN

WHICH DRAWS HUNTER GATHERERS \h\h\hTO COME AND HUNT THEM,

SO THEY ERECT TOTEM POLES TO MARK THE SPECIAL PLACE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND EVENTUALLY THAT LEADS TO STONEHENGE,

\h\h\h\h\hAND BY THAT RECKONING, STONEHENGE IS FOUNDED BY A COW.

WELL, THAT HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MORE UNUSUAL CONCLUSIONS

WE’VE COME TO.

I WONDER WHAT CLIVE’S \h\h\hMADE OF IT ALL.

\h\hWHAT DID YOU THINK OF STONEHENGE, CLIVE?

Clive: I LOVED IT.

I HAD BEEN TO STONEHENGE \h\hYEARS AND YEARS AGO

\hWHERE IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE FOR ANYBODY JUST TO WANDER UP

AND HAVE A LOOK AT THE STONES, \h\h\h\h\h\hTOUCH THEM, EVEN.

NOW IT’S MUCH MORE RESTRICTED,

SO WE HAD SPECIAL ACCESS \h\h\h\hFOR THE FILMING.

NOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY,

OH, I’VE DROVE PAST STONEHENGE

AND IT’S NOT AS IMPRESSIVE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS ALL THAT,

BUT IF YOU GET CLOSE UP \h\h\h\h\hTO THE STONES

AND YOU’RE RIGHT UP THERE, THEY ARE ENORMOUS STONES.

THEY HAVE BROUGHT HUGE STONES \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA VERY LONG WAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: 200 ODD MILES FROM WALES.

Clive: RATHER THAN SETTING UP \h\h\h\h\hTHEIR SITE IN WALES

OR WHEREVER THE STONES \h\h\hORIGINALLY WERE,

THEY’VE BROUGHT THEM \h\h\hTO THIS SITE.

SO WHY THIS SITE?

\h\h\h\h\hWHAT WAS IT ABOUT WILTSHIRE PLAIN

THAT ATTRACTED THEM?

\h\h\hMary-Ann: I MEAN, THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION,

BECAUSE THIS PLACE \h\hIS PERSISTENT.

\hTHOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HUMAN LIVES...

THERE’S BEEN THE FOCUS \h\h\h\hAT THIS SITE.

AND IN FACT EVEN NOW,

PEOPLE MAKE PILGRIMAGES \h\h\h\h\hTO STONEHENGE.

LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE TOURISTS,

\hBUT THEY TRAVEL AN AWFUL LONG WAY

TO GO TO THE VISITORS CENTER

\hAND THEN TO COME AND SEE THESE HALLOWED, REVERED FAMOUS STONES.

Clive: THE QUESTION IS

\hWHY HAS THIS AREA ENDURED FOR SO LONG?

IT CERTAINLY WASN’T THE AUROCHS.

5,000 YEARS AFTER THE MARKER \hPOSTS WERE FIRST ERECTED,

MESOLITHIC HUNTER GATHERERS

\h\hHAD BEEN REPLACED BY NEOLITHIC FARMERS.

[MOO]

\hNOW THEY HAD DOCILE, DOMESTICATED ANIMALS,

WHICH MADE RISKING THEIR LIVES \hHUNTING VIOLENT, GIANT COWS

A GOOD DEAL LESS ATTRACTIVE.

[CATTLE STAMPEDING]

BUT EVEN WITHOUT THE AUROCHS, PEOPLE CONTINUED TO LIVE HERE.

WHY?

THE ANSWER MAY LIE HERE.

\hTHE IMPRESSIVE 100-METER LONG BARROW AT WEST KENNET

\h\hWAS BUILT HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE WORK BEGAN ON STONEHENGE.

Nick Snashall: HI THERE. Clive: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

Nick: NICE TO MEET YOU, CLIVE.

Clive: HELLO, TAKE ME \h\h\hTO YOUR BARROW.

Nick: [LAUGHS] OK!

\hClive: ARCHAEOLOGIST NICK SNASHALL BELIEVES

IT’S NO ACCIDENT THAT MONUMENTS LIKE THIS WERE BUILT

\h\h\hIN THE SAME AREA AS THE MESOLITHIC POST HOLES,

EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE SEPARATED \h\h\h\hBY THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Nick: THEY ARE OFTEN BUILT NEAR KNOWN MESOLITHIC SITES,

WHERE THE PEOPLE WOULD COME TO HUNT AT PARTICULAR TIMES,

AND IN SOME CASES CLOSE \h\hTO SETTLEMENT SITES,

SO THERE’S OFTEN EVIDENCE \hTHAT MESOLITHIC PEOPLES

\hHAVE BEEN AROUND IN THE AREA BEFORE THESE TOMBS WERE BUILT.

Clive: YES.

Nick: THEY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THEIR ANCESTORS HAD COME HERE.

THEY SEEMED TO BE RETURNING \h\h\h\hTO THE SAME PLACES.

\hAND WE KNOW THAT FROM THE EVIDENCE

OF THINGS LIKE STONE TOOLS \h\h\h\hTHAT WE FIND HERE

THAT THE HUNTER GATHERERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hLEFT BEHIND

WHEN THEY CAME HERE HUNTING.

Clive: SO THEY’D HAVE \h\h\h\hA FOLK MEMORY

GOING BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS? \h\h\h\h\hTHOUSANDS OF YEARS?

Nick: I THINK THAT’S RIGHT.

THAT’S THE IMPORTANCE \h\hOF ORAL TRADITION,

OF PEOPLE PASSING DOWN THINGS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH MEMORY.

Clive: ALTHOUGH NEOLITHIC \hFARMERS WERE A GOOD DEAL

\h\h\h\h\hMORE SETTLED THAN MESOLITHIC HUNTER GATHERERS,

IT WAS STILL A PARTIALLY \h\h\hNOMADIC EXISTENCE.

Nick: THERE IS SOME \h\hCEREAL FARMING,

\hBUT THERE, THERE’S A LOT OF RELIANCE IN THIS PERIOD

ON CATTLE AS WELL, FOR INSTANCE.

SO THEY’RE MOVING WITH THE HERD.

SO TAKING THEM UP TO PASTURE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTAKING...

Clive: SO MORE LIKE PASTORAL \h\h\hPEOPLE IN THOSE DAYS?

Nick: IN LARGE PART, YES. \h\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: YEAH.

Clive: THESE BUILDERS \h\h\hUSED WEST KENNET

\hTO HOLD THE BODIES OF THEIR ANCESTORS.

AND NICK BELIEVES THIS HELPED ANCHOR THEM TO THIS LANDSCAPE.

Nick: AT THE TIME WHEN THEY BUILT THIS SORT OF MONUMENT,

LONG BARROWS, ACTUALLY, WE DON’T KNOW THAT MUCH

ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE LANDSCAPE,

BUT WHAT WE DO SUSPECT IS THAT

THOUGH THEY’RE RETURNING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO PLACES,

THEY’RE ACTUALLY MOVING AROUND \hTHE LANDSCAPE QUITE WIDELY.

Clive: YES.

Nick: BUT THAT’S IN ONE WAY WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THEM

TO HAVE THEIR ANCESTORS \h\h\h\h\h\hIN ONE SPOT.

SO THEY’RE TETHERED TO, IF YOU LIKE, A LOCATION

THAT THEY CAN CALL I SUPPOSE \h\h\hTHEIR ANCESTRAL HOME.

Clive: AND OF COURSE, VISITING \hSTRUCTURES LIKE WEST KENNET

COULD HAVE PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT INSTRUCTION MANUAL

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT STONEHENGE.

WOULD THEY HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITH THIS SITE?

WOULD THEY HAVE VISITED HERE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDO YOU THINK?

Nick: WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS \hWE DO KNOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE

WHO BUILT STONEHENGE

\h\h\h\hWAS THAT A LOT OF THEM HAD TRAVELED LARGE DISTANCES.

SO THERE’S EVERY POSSIBILITY \h\h\h\h\hTHAT SOME OF THEM

WOULD HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR \h\h\h\hWITH THIS SITE.

Clive: BY THE TIME THEY ERECTED THE GIANT BLUESTONE CIRCLE

AT STONEHENGE,

\h\hNEOLITHIC PEOPLE HAD DIALED THEIR MONUMENT-MAKING UP TO 11.

AND YOU COULDN’T SWING AN AUROCH

WITHOUT HITTING A MONUMENT \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THIS AREA.

\h\hIT HAD BECOME THE PLACE TO CELEBRATE OR WORSHIP THE DEAD,

THE ULTIMATE MYSTIC LANDSCAPE.

Mary-Ann: FOR 500 YEARS

\h\h\h\h\hAFTER THE FIRST BLUESTONE CIRCLE WENT UP,

PEOPLE KEPT COMING

WITH THE CREMATED REMAINS \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THEIR DEAD.

THEN AROUND 2500 BC,

STONEHENGE UNDERWENT WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL

A MONUMENTAL TRANSFORMATION.

NEOLITHIC BRITONS BROUGHT THE MASSIVE SARSEN STONES

AND BEGAN TO CREATE THE MONUMENT THAT WE SEE TODAY.

\h\h\h\hBUT WHY DID THEY TAKE A PERFECTLY GOOD STONE CIRCLE

\h\hAND THEN BUILD A NEW, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ONE?

THE ANSWER MIGHT BE STONE AGE POLITICS.

\h\h\h\hAROUND THE TIME THAT STONEHENGE REACHES

ITS MOST COMPLETE AND COMPLEX FORM,

A NEW TYPE OF BURIAL \hSTARTS TO BE SEEN

IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD.

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC \hOF THESE NEW BURIALS

\h\h\h\hIS NOW PRESERVED AT THE SALISBURY MUSEUM.

JACKIE McKINLEY WAS ONE OF \hTHE FIRST ARCHAEOLOGISTS

TO EXAMINE THE BODY.

SO, THIS IS THE AMESBURY ARCHER?

\h\h\hJacqueline McKinley: WELL, I KNOW HIM AS 1291,

\h\hBUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE VERY GOOD MEDIA HEADLINES,

SO AMESBURY IS FROM WHERE HE WAS FOUND,

HE WAS FOUND AT AMESBURY DOWN.

Mary-Ann: IT’S THIS POT, \h\hFOUND IN HIS GRAVE,

THAT GIVES US A BIG CLUE \h\h\h\h\hTO WHO HE WAS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJackie: THEY ARE QUITE DISTINCTIVE,

BOTH IN TERMS OF THEIR SHAPE,

USUALLY QUITE TALLER THAN THEY ARE WIDE,

BUT ALSO THIS DECORATION.

Mary-Ann: THIS IS KNOWN \h\hAS A BEAKER BURIAL.

IT’S UTTERLY DIFFERENT \h\hTO ANYTHING FOUND

FROM EARLIER PERIODS \hAROUND STONEHENGE.

OUTSIDERS HAD BEGUN TO SETTLE \h\h\h\h\hON SALISBURY PLAIN.

\h\h\h\h\h\hPOTS LIKE THESE STARTED TURNING UP IN GRAVES

AROUND 2500 BC.

\h\hTHEY ARE THE REASON THIS GROUP BECOMES KNOWN

AS THE BEAKER PEOPLE.

THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE \h\h\hHELD IN THE HANDS,

\hPROBABLY FOR DRINKING RATHER THAN FOR STORAGE.

\h\h\h\hBUT IT WASN’T THE BEAKERS THEMSELVES

THAT MADE THE AMESBURY ARCHER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSUCH A THREAT

TO THE LOCAL WAY OF LIFE.

Jackie: HE WAS DUBBED THE ARCHER

\h\h\hBECAUSE HE WAS FOUND WITH SO MANY ARROWHEADS IN HIS GRAVE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: LOOKING AT THIS BURIAL,

\h\h\hTHE ONE THING THAT STRIKES ME ABOVE ALL IS

JUST HOW MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THIS MAN HAS BEEN BURIED WITH.

\h\hTHE THING THAT MY EYE IS DRAWN TO

ARE THREE PIECES OF METALWORK,

\h\h\hAND WHAT ARE THOSE TWO LITTLE THINGS ON THE STICKS?

Jackie: WELL, ACTUALLY THE TWO \hLITTLE THINGS ON THE STICKS

ARE WHAT MAKES THIS SUCH A RICH BURIAL,

\h\h\h\h\h\hBECAUSE THEY ARE GOLD HAIR TRESS DECORATIONS.

THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT PAIRS OF THOSE FROM THE BRITISH ISLES.

THEY ARE VERY, VERY \hHIGH STATUS ITEMS.

\hTHE OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU WERE POINTING OUT,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE OTHER BITS OF GREENISH-LOOKING METAL

ARE COPPER KNIVES.

THEY WOULD HAVE HAD HANDLES, \h\hEITHER OF BONE OR WOOD,

AND AGAIN THEY ARE SPREAD AROUND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS GRAVE.

Mary-Ann: YOU HAVE TO ADMIT,

IN A WORLD OF STONE, \h\hBONE, AND WOOD,

\h\hALL THIS SHINY STUFF WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE YOU STAND OUT.

SO WHO WAS THIS MAN \hWHO WAS SO SPECIAL

\h\h\hAND BURIED WITH ALL THIS AMAZING BLING

CLOSE TO STONEHENGE?

\hIS THERE A LINK BETWEEN THIS EXTRAORDINARY BURIAL

AND THE BIG STONES?

Jackie: IT REALLY DEPENDS

WHAT YOU THINK THIS MAN’S \h\h\hPURPOSE IN LIFE WAS.

YOU FIND SUCH A RICH GRAVE,

AND THE IMMEDIATE THING IS, \h\h\h\hOH, CHIEFTAIN, KING.

AND I THINK SOME OF THE PAPERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hREFERRED TO HIM

AS THE KING OF STONEHENGE.

\hWE KNOW THAT HE DIDN’T LIVE HERE ALL THE TIME.

WE KNOW HE WAS BORN \h\hSOMEWHERE ELSE,

THAT HE PROBABLY TRAVELED AROUND,

SOME OF THE ITEMS HE’S GOT,

\hTHE MATERIALS COME FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

AND THERE IS A CLUE \h\h\hIN THE GRAVE,

AND IT’S PROBABLY THE LEAST \h\hIMPRESSIVE-LOOKING ITEM.

Mary-Ann: YEAH?

Jackie: THAT LUMP OF STONE.

Mary-Ann: THAT?

Jackie: THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN METALWORKING.

\hIT’S WHAT’S KNOWN AS A CUSHION STONE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT’S TO CUSHION THE MATERIAL YOU’RE WORKING ON

\h\h\h\hWHEN YOU’RE MAKING THOSE SMALL MOVEMENTS WITH YOUR HAND.

THE GOLD, FOR INSTANCE,

YOU’D HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO REST THAT ON TO WORK IT.

\h\hMary-Ann: SO THIS MAN IS POSSIBLY A METALWORKER?

Jackie: I THINK HE’S SOMEBODY

\h\hWHO DIDN’T JUST WORK METAL, THOUGH.

I THINK HE’S SOMEBODY WHO TRANSFORMED THINGS

FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER,

SO BE THAT METAL OR FLINT.

\h\h\h\h\hYOU’VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO CAN WORK A LUMP OF COPPER

\hAND TURN IT INTO A BEAUTIFUL ITEM,

BE IT A DAGGER OR SOME KIND OF OTHER DECORATIVE ITEM...

THAT KIND OF PERSON REALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS A MAGICIAN.

Mary-Ann: SO YOU’VE GOT \h\hTHIS MAN HANGING OUT

\h\h\hAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST STONE AGE ATTRACTIONS IN...

WELL, THE STONE AGE,

\h\h\h\hWITH LOTS OF GAUDY BITS OF METAL.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT LEADS ME TO ONE INESCAPABLE CONCLUSION.

SO, WE’RE SUGGESTING THAT THE AMESBURY ARCHER, 1291,

IS THE FIRST SOUVENIR STALL \h\h\hSELLER AT STONEHENGE?

Jackie: HIGH QUALITY SOUVENIRS, I HAVE TO SAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: WHATEVER HE WAS SELLING,

IT WAS MADE OF METAL,

AND THAT WAS GOING TO TRANSFORM STONE AGE BRITAIN FOREVER,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMAINLY BECAUSE IT WASN’T STONE, OF COURSE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: AS THE OLD EXPRESSION HAS IT,

\h\h\h\hTHE STONE AGE DIDN’T COME TO AN END

BECAUSE WE RAN OUT OF STONES.

IT ENDED BECAUSE WE FOUND,

\hOR SOMEONE WHO WASN’T OBSESSED WITH MOVING GIANT STONES FOUND,

A NEW AND BETTER TECHNOLOGY.

SO, HOW DID THEY DO THAT?

I’VE COME TO A LOCAL WOOD

TO HUNT FOR THE LESSER SPOTTED \hEXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGIST,

AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

\h\hJAMES DILLEY IS GOING TO INDUCT ME INTO A NEW WORLD,

THE BRONZE AGE.

OR AT LEAST HE’S GOING TO TRY.

\h\hSO WE’RE STEPPING HERE FROM THE STONE AGE TO THE BRONZE AGE.

BEING ABLE TO GET \hCOPPER FROM ROCK

WAS THE KEY TO THE BRONZE AGE,

SO IT REALLY SHOULD BE CALLED THE COPPER AGE,

BUT IF I CALLED IT THAT,

\h\h\h\hYOU WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

James Dilley: TAKE THIS, UH, \hUNUSUAL-LOOKING ROCK HERE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNOW, I SAY IT’S UNUSUAL BECAUSE...

Clive: SORT OF GREEN IN IT.

James: EXACTLY, IT’S QUITE \h\h\hA BRIGHT GREEN ROCK.

Clive: WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO NOW

\hTO TURN MERE ROCK INTO USABLE COPPER?

James: WE NEED TO BREAK IT UP.

Clive: WHILE I’M STUCK \h\h\hIN THE STONE AGE

SMASHING UP ROCKS,

JAMES GETS THE FIRE GOING

\hUSING A TRADITIONAL BRONZE AGE TECHNIQUE.

\hSO THIS COMES FROM NOT THE COPPER AGE.

THIS IS FROM THE B&Q AGE.

James: GOT A BIT OF FIRE.

\h\h\hI’M GONNA PUT SOME BITS OF ASH WOOD ON TOP.

Clive: YEAH.

James: AND THEN IT’LL BE \hSOME BITS OF CHARCOAL

JUST TO HELP GET IT GOING,

AND I’M GONNA START WORKING THE BELLOWS

TO HELP GETTING AIR THROUGH.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR \h\h\h\hTHAT RUSH OF AIR.

Clive: DEFINITELY CAN.

YOU KEEP BELLOWING, \h\hI KEEP GRINDING.

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT,

\hTHE TRUE SECRET OF THE BRONZE AGE.

ONE OF THE GREATEST REVOLUTIONS IN HUMAN HISTORY

\h\h\h\h\hCOMES DOWN TO GRINDING AND BELLOWING.

James: SO, IF YOU SPRINKLE

\h\h\h\h\h\hA LITTLE BIT OF THAT COPPER ORE IN...

FROM THE DISH.

Clive: RIGHT.

James: JUST STRAIGHT IN.

\hPROBABLY START TO SEE SOME GREEN FLAMES COMING THROUGH

\h\h\h\hWHEN I START WORKING THE BELLOWS.

\hClive: SO WE COULD HAVE A SORT OF BARBECUE WHILE WE’RE WAITING.

James: WE COULD.

Clive: ON TOP OF THIS, \h\h\h\h\hCOULDN’T WE?

\h\h\hJames: THE PIECES OF ORE, THEY’LL START TO SMELT, REDUCE,

\hAND THE COPPER WILL START TO DRIP THROUGH TO THE DISH.

HOPEFULLY, WE’LL HAVE \hSOME MOLTEN COPPER.

Clive: OH, I HOPE SO.

WELL, IT LOOKS HOT ENOUGH \h\h\h\h\hIN THE CRUCIBLE.

James: IT CERTAINLY \hLOOKS HOT ENOUGH.

HEY.

Clive: OH, WOW, YES.

YES, A CERTAIN AMOUNT \h\h\hHAS POURED OUT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJames: YOU CAN SEE IT ALL GLOWING.

Clive: YEAH.

James: A LITTLE AXE IN THERE, \h\h\h\h\h\hBY THE LOOK OF IT.

A VERY LITTLE AXE.

Clive: AXE NOT WHAT YOU CAN DO \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR YOUR COUNTRY.

WE’VE MOLDED SOMETHING.

OH, I SEE, YES.

James: SO, THERE WE GO. THOSE ARE THE TWO BITS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: OH, YES, SATISFYINGLY COPPER-COLORED.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWOULDN’T SAY IT’S QUITE AN AXE HEAD.

IT’S A PAIR OF EARRINGS, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hISN’T IT?

[LAUGHS]

LOOK. PERFECT.

SO, IF NOTHING ELSE,

\h\h\h\h\hWE’VE PROVED THAT BRONZE AGE PEOPLE

WERE CAPABLE OF ACCESSORIZING.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSERIOUSLY, THIS WAS REVOLUTIONARY.

THESE NEW SKILLS

MADE THE FLINT-WIELDING \h\h\h\hNEOLITHIC LOCALS

SEEM POSITIVELY STONE AGE.

\hSO, WHERE DID THESE RADICAL, ALMOST MAGICAL NEW TECHNIQUES

COME FROM?

\h\h\h\hMike: WE KNOW FROM GENETIC EVIDENCE,

THE ANCIENT DNA,

\hTHAT ACTUALLY THE PEOPLE BURIED WITH THOSE BEAKERS

HAD THEIR ANCESTRY

\hNOT AMONGST THE POPULATION OF THE NEOLITHIC IN BRITAIN,

\hBUT ACTUALLY FROM PEOPLE WHOSE ORIGINS WERE NOT JUST IN EUROPE,

\h\h\hBUT ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE UKRAINIAN STEPPES.

Clive: MIKE BELIEVES THE CHANGES THE BEAKERS BROUGHT WITH THEM

REACHED FAR BEYOND \h\hTHE TOOL SHED.

Mike: IT IS A TRANSFORMATION \h\h\h\hOF BRITISH SOCIETY,

NOT SIMPLY TO DO WITH THE METAL.

AND THOSE BEAKER PEOPLE

ARE BRINGING THE WHEEL \hAS A NEW INVENTION.

\h\hTHEY’VE BEEN LIVING WITH THE WHEEL IN EUROPE

\h\h\hFOR CENTURIES UP UNTIL THIS POINT.

\h\h\hClive: NEWFANGLED THINGS LIKE THE WHEEL, THE BEAKER...

\hMike: AND METAL. Clive: AND METAL.

\h\h\h\hSO, THIS SPELT THE END OF THE STONE AGE AS WE NOW...

Mike: EXACTLY.

\hClive: THE STONE AGE WAS COMING TO AN END.

\hBUT HOW DOES THAT CONNECT TO THE BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION YET

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF BRITAIN’S MOST FAMOUS PILE OF STONES--

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE ARRIVAL OF THE MIGHTY SARSEN STONES?

OK, SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF STONEHENGE?

AROUND 5,000 YEARS AGO,

ANCIENT BRITONS BUILT \hA HUGE STONE CIRCLE

\hUSING STONES DRAGGED 180 MILES FROM WALES.

BUT 500 YEARS LATER, \h\hTHEY REBUILT IT,

MOVING THE BLUESTONES \h\h\hINTO THE CENTER

\hAND INTRODUCING THE SARSEN STONES.

THIS IS WHEN STONEHENGE,

PRETTY MUCH AS WE KNOW IT TODAY,

WAS BUILT.

THIS ICONIC STRUCTURE REMAINS \h\h\hTHE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION

\h\h\h\hOF THE CULTURE OF STONE AGE BRITONS.

\h\h\hMORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE STILL COME TO SEE IT EVERY YEAR.

THE QUESTION IS

\h\h\hWHAT PROMPTED THE ANCIENT BRITONS

\h\h\h\h\hTO CARRY OUT SUCH A VAST REMODELING

OF WHAT WAS A PERFECTLY GOOD \h\h\h\h\h\h\hSTONE CIRCLE?

RAISING THESE MASSIVE STONES

\hWOULD HAVE BEEN A HUGE UNDERTAKING ON ITS OWN,

\h\h\h\h\hBUT IN FACT IT WAS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

BECAUSE THE ANCIENT BRITONS

\h\h\h\hWENT ON SOMETHING OF A STONE AGE BUILDING SPREE.

Mary-Ann: JUST DOWN THE ROAD \h\h\h\h\h\hFROM STONEHENGE,

\h\h\h\hSILBURY HILL IS ONE SUCH PROJECT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDOESN’T LOOK ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE, DOES IT?

\h\h\h\h\hUNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT IT’S NOT A HILL AT ALL.

\h\hA HILL, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT, JIM.

Jim: NO, A MONUMENTAL MOUND.

Mary-Ann: SO, NOT NATURAL?

Jim: NO, NOTHING NATURAL \h\h\h\h\h\hABOUT THAT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: THAT IS ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE.

I MEAN, HOW HIGH IS IT?

Jim: FROM THE CENTER POINT, \hTHAT’S 31 1/2 METERS HIGH,

\h\h\hMAKING IT THE LARGEST PREHISTORIC MOUND IN EUROPE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THE TALLEST, ONE OF THE TALLEST IN THE WORLD.

Mary-Ann: OK, WHAT’S ITS STORY?

\hJim: WELL, WE KNOW THAT IT WAS CREATED

IN THE LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD,

AROUND 2450 BC.

THEY BUILT IT SLOWLY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSO INITIALLY IT’S A LITTLE GRAVEL MOUND,

AND THEN WE START GETTING \h\h\h\hEVER LARGER MOUNDS

AND CREATED OVER, I DON’T KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE GENERATIONS

TO THE MONUMENT YOU SEE TODAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: STONEHENGE AND SILBURY HILL

\h\h\hWOULD BE PRETTY EPIC ACHIEVEMENTS ON THEIR OWN,

BUT THE STONE AGE BRITONS \hHAD BARELY GOT STARTED.

Jim: BETWEEN STONEHENGE \h\h\hAND SILBURY HILL,

WE HAVE THE VALE OF PEWSEY,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND WE HAVE THE HUGE HENGE MONUMENT

KNOWN AS MARDEN HENGE,

\hAND OF COURSE WE HAVE DURRINGTON WALLS HENGE.

ALL SEEM TO BE BEING CONSTRUCTED AT AROUND ABOUT THE SAME TIME.

Mary-Ann: WOW.

THAT REPRESENTS MILLIONS \h\h\hOF HOURS OF LABOR.

\h\h\h\hWHAT ON EARTH ARE THE PEOPLE DOING?

AREN’T THEY FARMERS?

\h\hHAVEN’T THEY GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO?

\hJim: SOMETHING’S HAPPENING THAT’S CREATING A RESPONSE.

\h\h\hWHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE DATING OF THESE BIG MOUNDS,

\h\hTHEY DO SEEM TO BE AROUND THE SAME TIME,

ALL AROUND 2450 BC.

Mary-Ann: STONE AGE BRITONS

HAD CLEARLY GOT THEMSELVES \h\h\h\h\hPRETTY WORKED UP

TO POUR SO MUCH EFFORT INTO \hMONUMENTAL BUILDING WORKS,

PART OF WHICH LED THEM TO BUILD STONEHENGE AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.

AND OF COURSE

\hSOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED AT THIS MOMENT IN HISTORY

THAT’S ALMOST CERTAINLY \h\h\hNOT A COINCIDENCE.

THE AMESBURY ARCHER’S \h\h\h\hBEAKER PEOPLE

ARRIVED HERE FROM THE CONTINENT WITH THEIR SHINY METAL BLING.

\hJIM LEARY BELIEVES THIS ALMOST FRANTIC STONE-MONUMENT BUILDING

WAS THE NEOLITHIC BRITS’ ATTEMPT TO MARK THEIR GROUND

AND PROVE THE SUPERIORITY \h\hOF STONE AGE CULTURE.

Jim: SO WE HAVE THIS COMPETITION

BETWEEN AN OLD WAY OF LIFE \h\hAND A NEW WAY OF LIFE.

SO, NEW PEOPLE COMING \hFROM THE CONTINENT,

AND I THINK IT’S MANIFESTING

\h\h\hIN WHAT IS QUITE FRANKLY AN UNSUSTAINABLE WAY OF LIFE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: THE LOCALS ARE TERRIFIED,

SO THE RESPONSE IS,

LET’S BUILD A MASSIVE MOUND \h\h\h\h\h\hOR A STONEHENGE.

\hCRIKEY, WE NEED TO MAKE OUR BEAUTIFUL STONE CIRCLE

EVEN BETTER.

LET’S GET THE BIG STONES IN.

\h\h\h\h\hJim: IT DOES SEEM AS IF PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING

\h\hBY LAYING CLAIM TO WHAT WAS, WHAT IS CLEARLY ANCESTRAL LAND.

SO, I MEAN THIS IS A WAY OF GETTING THE SOCIETY TOGETHER

TO MAKING CLAIM TO THIS VALLEY.

Mary-Ann: FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS

\h\h\hSTONE AGE BRITONS HAD LIVED ON THIS PLAIN,

HUNTING AUROCHS, FARMING,

AND PILING UP EARTH AND STONES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN MYSTIC EYE-CATCHING FORMATIONS.

\h\h\h\h\hNOW, WHETHER THEY LIKED IT OR NOT,

AND IT APPEARS THEY DIDN’T,

EVERYTHING WAS CHANGING,

ALL BECAUSE OF BEAKER BLING.

THE BEAKER PEOPLE \hBUGGERED IT UP.

Jim: YEAH, THEY DID.

IT ALL WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE.

Mary-Ann: YEAH.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUILDING MONUMENTS LIKE STONEHENGE AND SILBURY HILL

REQUIRES MASSIVE AMOUNTS \h\h\h\h\h\hOF MANPOWER,

MATERIALS BROUGHT FROM AFAR,

AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY, \h\h\h\h\h\hSTONE AGE STYLE.

THEY’RE ALSO, I THINK, \h\hACTS OF DEFIANCE.

\h\hTHIS IS THE POINT WHERE WE SEE PEOPLE DEEP IN PREHISTORY

SAYING, ALRIGHT, YOU BEAKER FOLK,

\h\h\h\hYOU MIGHT HAVE NEW KINDS OF POTTERY,

YOU’VE GOT YOUR SHINY METAL...

BUT LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: SO, DID THE ANCIENT BRITONS

MANAGE TO BUILD THEIR WAY OUT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THIS CRISIS?

WERE THE BEAKER PEOPLE TERRIFIED

BY THE INCREASINGLY ELABORATE \h\h\h\hSTONE AND EARTHWORKS?

IN OTHER WORDS,

DID THESE FOREIGN INVADERS \hGET THE HINT AND LEAVE?

\h\h\hMIKE PARKER PEARSON THINKS HE HAS THE ANSWER.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE \h\h\hWHO WERE LIVING HERE?

PRE-BEAKER FOLK?

Mike: THE GENETIC EVIDENCE IS REALLY QUITE DRAMATIC,

BECAUSE WITHIN A THOUSAND YEARS,

THE POPULATION OF BRITAIN,

90% OF THEIR GENES DERIVE FROM \hTHOSE CONTINENTAL ARRIVALS.

Clive: WOW.

\h\h\h\hTHE STONE AGE BRITONS WHO HAD DOMINATED THE COUNTRY

\h\h\h\hFOR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS

DISAPPEAR ALMOST IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

Mike: WE’RE SEEING THEIR DNA \h\h\h\h\h\hGETTING SWAMPED

\h\hWITHIN A LARGER POPULATION OVERALL.

Clive: SO IT’S SORT OF BEING \hREPLACED BY, BY INCOMERS,

BY THE NEW FOLK.

Mike: YEAH, IT’S A NEAR TOTAL \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hREPLACEMENT.

Clive: IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW

PRECISELY WHAT NEOLITHIC BRITONS WERE REALLY THINKING.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE THEY HOPING THEIR NEW IMPROVED STONEHENGE

WOULD BRING THE GODS \h\hONTO THEIR SIDE?

\h\h\hWERE THEY JUST TRYING TO SCARE THE NEWCOMERS AWAY?

BUT WHATEVER THEIR INTENTIONS,

IT CLEARLY DIDN’T WORK

BECAUSE THE GENETICS SAY THAT \hTHE BRONZE AGE BEAKER PEOPLE

TOOK OVER THE COUNTRY ANYWAY.

STONEHENGE, AS WE KNOW IT, \hMARKS THE END OF AN ERA,

THE END OF THE STONE AGE.

SO IS THAT ULTIMATELY \hWHAT STONEHENGE IS,

THE LAST HURRAH OF BRITISH \h\h\h\h\hNEOLITHIC PEOPLE

BECOMING A STONE MONUMENT \h\hTO A DYING STONE AGE?

Mary-Ann: CLIVE, WHY DO YOU THINK STONEHENGE WAS BUILT?

Clive: I THINK THE EVIDENCE \h\h\h\h\hPOINTS TO THE IDEA

\h\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS BUILT AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION.

WE’VE GOT THE EVIDENCE TODAY,

PEOPLE COME FROM ALL AROUND \h\hTHE WORLD TO LOOK AT IT.

Mary-Ann: BECAUSE YOU’RE RIGHT.

IT’S ABOUT BUILDING A SIGNIFICANT PLACE

THAT IS GOING TO BE FAMOUS \h\hBEYOND THE LOCAL AREA.

\h\hClive: IT’S A MAGNET FOR BRINGING PEOPLE IN.

\h\hMary-Ann: THAT’S WHAT JACKIE McKINLEY WAS SAYING

WITH THE AMESBURY ARCHER.

HE’S ONE OF THESE BEAKER PEOPLE,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND HE’S GOT METALWORKING KIT WITH HIM.

Clive: YES.

Mary-Ann: AND HE MIGHT HAVE COME BECAUSE STONEHENGE WAS FAMOUS.

\hAND IF HE WANTS TO SELL HIS STUFF,

WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU GO?

YOU’D GO TO STONEHENGE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hClive: SO STONEHENGE IS A MONUMENT TO THE STONE AGE,

\h\h\h\hWHICH WAS GONNA BE REPLACED AND PUSHED ASIDE

BY THIS NEWFANGLED BRONZE AGE.

IF I’M UNDERSTANDING IT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCORRECTLY,

\h\h\hIT WASN’T JUST THE IDEAS SPREADING;

IT WAS THE PEOPLE SPREADING

\h\h\h\h\hAND SHUNTING ASIDE THE POOR OLD FLINT WORKERS.

THE FLINTSTONES BEING REPLACED \h\h\h\h\hBY THE METALWORKERS.

Mary-Ann: BY THE FANCY NEW FOLK FROM THE CONTINENT.

THE THING ABOUT STONEHENGE,

FOR EVERY GENERATION

IT FEELS LIKE THERE’S A NEW \hEXPLANATION THAT’S OFFERED

THAT FITS PERFECTLY.

YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF HAVE THE STONEHENGE WE DESERVE.

SO BACK IN THE DAY, IN THE 19th CENTURY,

\hWE SAID, OH, IT WAS MERLIN AND THE DRUIDS,

\h\hBECAUSE PEOPLE WERE KIND OF GETTING ROMANTIC

ABOUT THE ANCIENT PAST.

WHEREAS THEN WE WENT \h\hTHROUGH A PHASE

WHERE, DURING THE SPACE RACE,

\h\h\h\h\hSTONEHENGE WAS CLEARLY BUILT BY ALIENS WHO CAME DOWN...

\h\h\h\h\hClive: A SIGNAL TO OPEN OUTER SPACE, YEAH.

\h\h\h\hMary-Ann: EXACTLY. WHEREAS NOW WE’RE SAYING,

OH, ACTUALLY, IT’S BECAUSE \h\h\hOF NAZI SUPER COWS.

\h\hI DON’T KNOW WHY THAT FITS WITH 2019,

BUT APPARENTLY IT DOES,

\h\h\h\h\hAND WHO KNOWS WHAT THE NEXT ITERATION

OF THE EXPLANATION IS GONNA BE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMAYBE THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF STONEHENGE.

IT’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

IN EVERY SEASON AND GENERATION.