Tag Archives: Monument

Discover the Ancient Monument that Predates Stonehenge and Celebrated the Summer Solstice

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Reenactment of Summer Solstice Celebrations at Bulford

Credit: Marijane Porter, Wessex Archaeology

In an astonishing discovery, archaeologists reveal that Stone Age inhabitants in Britain constructed wooden monuments to celebrate the summer solstice approximately 500 years prior to the iconic stone circles at Stonehenge.

Interestingly, the positioning of Stonehenge also aligns with the summer solstice, suggesting that these wooden structures may have served as early prototypes for the stone edifice. This represents one of the earliest known instances of monuments dedicated to astronomical events in Britain.

Phil Harding of Wessex Archaeology, which spearheaded the excavation, remarked at a press conference, “This discovery provides actual evidence of how these ancient people documented the movement of the sun.”

Stonehenge, constructed during the Neolithic period at the conclusion of the Stone Age, is situated on Salisbury Plain, England. This site features an outer circle of vertical sarsen stones topped with horizontal lintels, accompanied by a smaller inner ring of vertical bluestones. These structures are encompassed by earthen embankments and ditches; the earliest parts were erected around 3100 BC, with subsequent modifications continuing until 1600 BC.

Notably, some of the standing stones are meticulously oriented to face the sunrise on the summer solstice and the sunset on the winter solstice. Associated stones began to be erected around 2500 BC.

During the excavation, Harding and his team discovered the remnants of a 500-year-old monument close to the village of Bulford, located approximately five kilometers northeast of Stonehenge. Before the British Ministry of Defense began plans to establish housing for about 5,000 soldiers, Wessex Archaeology conducted excavations at Bulford between 2015 and 2017.

Researchers uncovered a series of pits containing fluted pottery linked to late Neolithic cultures, with radiocarbon dating indicating the pottery dates back to around 2950 BC. The findings included 40 closely clustered date estimates. “This site appears to have been occupied for a short duration,” Harding stated. “The occupation likely spanned around 10 years.”

Susan Greaney, an expert from the University of Exeter, UK, remarked, “This is a significant Middle Neolithic settlement,” although she was not directly involved in the research.

Pottery Discovered at Bulford, England

Credit: Wessex Archaeology

Two of the pits at Bulford exhibited unique characteristics distinct from the others. Their tapered sides extend from 1.2 meters wide down to 0.5 meters at the base and contained no pottery, only chalk rubble. Researchers determined these to be postholes that once supported tall timbers, likely several meters high, stabilized by the surrounding rubble. One of the postholes even contained rowan charcoal.

These two postholes are located approximately 120 meters apart, and Harding noted that a line drawn through them pointed to an angle of roughly 48.1 degrees northeast, aligning with the midsummer sunrise. “I was extremely excited,” Harding expressed.

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Wessex Archaeology collaborated with Fabio Silva, a skyscape archaeologist from Stone x Sky, to further investigate the posthole alignment. Utilizing a 3D landscape reconstruction that excluded modern buildings and incorporated data on the sun’s trajectory, Silva confirmed that the postholes were effectively aligned with the historical summer solstice sunrises.

While the alignment was slightly off by about a degree, Silva mentioned that considering the potential width of the wooden pillars (up to 50 centimeters), this misalignment is acceptable. “The probability of this alignment being coincidental is less than 0.5 percent,” he stated.

A. Cesar González Garcia from Spain’s National Research Council in Santiago de Compostela, who did not participate in the study, noted, “A rough orientation is probably sufficient for the rituals intended at these sites.” He emphasized that there appears to be a broad understanding and interest in astronomical phenomena among ancient cultures.

Previous ruins in the vicinity also exhibit evidence of solar tracking, albeit with less precision. “From the very beginning of Neolithic habitation in this landscape, celestial observations were integrated into their ceremonial architecture,” remarked Matt Leivers, also from Wessex Archaeology.

Greaney added, “Many wooden monuments were arranged in this manner, and the Bulford site could represent an earlier stage in the development of monument construction.” For instance, the nearby Larkhill has a Neolithic enclosure dating back to around 3700 BC and boasts an entrance that aligns northeast. If one stands at this entrance on a midsummer morning, the sun will brilliantly rise above Sidbury Hill, the highest point on the horizon.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Discovering an Early Prototype of Stonehenge: The Secrets of an Ancient Monument

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Reenactment of Summer Solstice Celebrations in Bulford

Marijane Porter, Wessex Archaeology

Ancient Stone Age societies in Britain constructed wooden monuments to mark the summer solstice approximately 500 years before the iconic stone circles at Stonehenge were established.

Stonehenge also aligns with the summer solstice, hinting that the wooden structures may have inspired its creation. This discovery represents one of the earliest manifestations of monuments dedicated to celestial events in Britain.

“What we have now is substantial evidence that these communities were able to track the sun’s movement,” stated Phil Harding from Wessex Archaeology, who led the excavation project during a press conference unveiling the findings.

Stonehenge, completed at the end of the Stone Age, during the Neolithic era, is situated on Salisbury Plain, England. It encompasses an outer ring of vertical sarsen stones topped with horizontal lintels, alongside a smaller inner circle of vertical bluestone and additional stones. This oldest section dates back to around 3100 BC, with further constructions extending until 1600 BC.

Notably, certain standing stones appear meticulously positioned to align with the summer solstice sunrise and the opposite sight for the winter solstice sunset, with construction of these associated stones occurring around 2500 BC.

Harding and his team unearthed the remnants of a 500-year-old monument near Bulford, roughly five kilometers northeast of Stonehenge, in a location initially designated for a military base housing 5,000 soldiers. Prior to construction, Wessex Archaeology carried out excavations from 2015 to 2017.

The research team identified several pits containing fluted pottery created by late Neolithic cultures. Radiocarbon dating suggests the pottery dates back to around 2950 BC, with 40 samples clustered closely in time. “This site was occupied for a relatively brief period,” Harding explained, estimating an occupancy span of about a decade.

Acknowledging its significance, Susan Greaney from the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the study, remarked, “This is a crucial Middle Neolithic settlement.”

Pottery Unearthed in Bulford, England

Wessex Archaeology

Two pits found at Bulford displayed distinct shapes: tapering sides that transitioned from 1.2 meters wide to just 0.5 meters, lacking pottery but filled with chalk rubble. Harding concluded these were postholes that once supported upright timbers, with one containing rowan charcoal.

Positioned approximately 120 meters apart, the postholes’ alignment directed towards the northeast, roughly 48.1 degrees—a significant angle for summer solstice sunrises. Harding expressed his enthusiasm, remarking, “I was genuinely thrilled.”

Wessex Archaeology enlisted Fabio Silva, a skyscape archaeologist with Stone x Sky, to analyze the posthole arrangements further. Through a 3D landscape reconstruction, Silva concluded that the alignment of the postholes correlated effectively with ancient midsummer sunrises, allowing for a discrepancy of just about one degree.

Silva noted, “This slight variation makes sense considering the potential diameter of wooden pillars, which could have reached 50 centimeters. Accounting for this width, the alignment remains impressive.” He stated, “The chance of this being coincidental is less than 0.5 percent.”

“A rough orientation might suffice for the rituals conducted at such sites,” suggested A. Cesar González Garcia from Spain’s National Research Council, highlighting the community’s long-standing interest in cosmological phenomena.

Evidently, ancient ruins in the vicinity provide indications that early societies tracked the sun, albeit with varying precision. As Matt Leivers of Wessex Archaeology affirmed, “Since the dawn of Neolithic communities, the sun has consistently influenced their ceremonial structures.”

Greaney reiterated that numerous wooden monuments were similarly oriented, with the Bulford site contributing to the narrative of early monumental architecture. For instance, nearby Larkhill features a Neolithic enclosure from approximately 3700 BC, predating Bulford and Stonehenge. Its entrance faces northeast, allowing for full sunrise visibility over Sidbury Hill on midsummer mornings, as noted by Leavens.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Environmentalists find hope in Monument Valley 3: Shifting focus from doom and gloom

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aArchitectural surrealism is a defining characteristic of Monument Valley. The rigid and beautiful structures in the game transform and rotate with the player’s touch, creating new paths and stairs for the minimalist character to explore. Doorways can lead anywhere, and hitting a switch can cause pillars to rise from the ground, revealing hidden paths. Since 2014, these games have been popular on smartphones and are considered some of the best examples for touch screen puzzle enthusiasts. However, the latest entry in the series, released recently, offers a unique twist.

The iconic Moroccan-inspired architecture that made the game famous is still present, but this time, the geometric character Noor is accompanied by blooming flowers and winding vines. Noor is shown steering a small boat and getting lost in a bright yellow wheat field. The game also introduces more people, with Noor depicted as an apprentice lighthouse keeper responsible for a community devastated by a flood in various scenes. Throughout the game, she is accompanied or assisted by different characters, highlighting the theme of rebuilding together.

Monument Valley is now available as a game on Netflix, allowing subscribers to download all three entries for free. The game is developed by Ustwo Games, a small studio based in London. While some creators from the first game remain, the team has evolved over the past decade. Director Jennifer Estaris, who joined Ustwo Games in 2020, brings her experience as a climate change activist and game designer to the project. The game’s development is influenced by the play for the earth Initiative, with Monument Valley 2’s additional chapter, The Lost Forest, created as part of the Green Game Jam.

Calmly satisfied…Monument Valley 3. Photo: Ustwo/Netflix

“I believe that green nudging is crucial and that system change can be reflected in games,” says Estaris. “For Monument Valley 3, my main idea was to explore sustainable and resilient community building for a hopeful future. We focused on living in harmony with nature to provide the solutions we need.” The game offers a satisfying and visually stunning puzzle experience while subtly addressing themes of climate change through its natural shapes and architecture.

Lead Designer Emily Brown explains the team’s approach to Monument Valley 3, stating, “We wanted to explore a different perspective from the towering monuments and isolated characters of the previous games.” The game incorporates more natural elements and allows for a mix of styles and ideas, reflecting a shift towards a more hopeful and interconnected narrative.

“It was impossible for us as a team.” do not have To bring a part of myself to it”…Monument Valley 3. Photo: Ustwo/Netflix

Monument Valley’s minimalist design allows players to bring their own emotions and narratives to the game, creating a unique and personal experience. Despite the game’s focus on conveying messages about climate change and hope, the team aimed to retain the space for interpretation and personal connection. Lead Designer Brown expresses the team’s ambition for the game, stating, “We believe that things can improve when players bring a part of themselves to the experience.”

The development of Monument Valley 3 during the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the team to explore themes of community, unity, and recovery from disaster. The game embodies the concept of Hopepunk, offering a message of hope and resilience in the face of challenges. Estaris emphasizes the importance of unity in overcoming difficulties, stating, “We want people to feel that we can overcome challenges by working together.”

Monument Valley 3 is now available on smartphones through Netflix Games

Source: www.theguardian.com

Unveiling the creative process behind Monument Valley 2’s heartwarming music: Creating the sound of a warm hug

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'TThe part where the mother and child get separated on the Red Mountain is a level fairly early in the game where you have to go back and find the mother. I was completing the sound design and music in the hospital. She was right next to my mother as she slept while she was recovering from open heart surgery. ”

Todd Baker pauses for a moment. He recalls the development process for Monument Valley 2, a 2017 indie puzzle game. Biggest success stories It will remain in the history of mobile games. The second game is more experimental than the first. The number of stories has increased and the atmosphere has changed. While the first title was all optical illusions and impossible objects, the sequel moves away from his MC Escher-inspired towers and spiers to non-Euclidean geometry and brutalism.

At the center of it all are a mother and daughter, wordlessly walking back and forth in each other's paths, desperately trying to stay together as the world heaves and undulates and does its best to tear them apart. It's about women's heritage and relationships, and for Todd there were parallels between fiction and reality. “The fact that this game is about a mother and a child, and the fact that I lost my mother at the end of the year when I was making this game, is very heartbreaking.”

“I wanted the music to speak and tell the story”…Monument Valley 2. Photo: ustwo

Monument Valley 2's soundtrack is the kind of music you want to listen to when you're not playing. Even when separated from the parent game, it's still very enveloping, very rich and textured, and provides a comfortable background for whatever you're doing. Waves of warm, organic tones and ambient, soothing sounds wash over you. This was always Baker's intention. Even before the unfortunate coincidence of fictional and real losses, Monument Valley 2's soundtrack was designed to be soothing, familiar, and gorgeous.

“Basically, what I was trying to do was create the sound of a really warm hug,” Baker said with a laugh, referring to one of the early stages of the game, when the child first comes to his mother. He described the moment he was held in his mother's arms. “At that moment, the kid comes in and I hug him, and there’s a lot of bass going on…I needed a really warm, fuzzy feeling, like this is where I want to be right now. .”

This moment in the game is very important. It's all about setting what's at stake. Yes, this story is abstract and minimalistic, but this moment has such power. Baker creates an impromptu acoustic guitar melody that he layered on three tracks and played on an EBow for a slightly supernatural sound, all backed up by an intoxicating supporting bass note, but it's not unlike the visuals here. I am doing a very important job. Establish everything that's at risk, Apple/iOS friendly, “bright on white”. If you don't watch the game to the end, you'll never see these two reunite.

That resonated with the audience, Baker said. “What's amazing is that now I get messages from people saying, 'This was the soundtrack of my childhood,'” Baker laughs. “They talked to me as adults now who were playing this game when they were 11 or 12 years old and said this is nostalgic and it's a safe space for them. It touches people's hearts. , they have a lot of nostalgia for it now.”

'It touched people's hearts'…Todd Baker performs music from Monument Valley 2 at London's V&A. Photo: ustwo

Baker was responsible for not only the music for Monument Valley 2, but also the entire sound design. Things like how a chime sounds when you swipe or tap on certain interactive elements, or how a little music plays as you explore a curious geometric world. It gets sucked in. This was an opportunity for him to emulate the approach Martin Stig Andersen took with Limbo and Inside. Both games had a huge influence on Monument Valley 2's audio, even though they couldn't be more different in tone.

“From the beginning, I was confident that I could do this. We were able to do the whole project holistically, including discussions about whether to license the music or use other artists for the trailer.” But for this one…I had to bring it myself. I wanted the music to speak and tell the story, and I wanted the rest of the development team to be really excited about it.”

As Baker says this, he imitates a hug and brings it around himself, recreating the hug he tried to evoke in the hearts and ears of players in the game's early moments. A decade after the original game was released, Apple still promotes both Monument Valley and the sequel on the App Store, with the latter installed on at least 30 million of his devices. There's no doubt that millions of people heard echoes of that hug and Baker's relationship with his mother. If you've never played this game with the sound on, find your headphones, head over to the App Store, and give it a try. I promise you, it's worth the effort.

The Monument Valley series turns 10 this month, and to celebrate, developer ustwo Commemorative website.

Source: www.theguardian.com