Laser Technology Uncovers Secrets at Stonehenge
March 14, 2013
Stonehenge is still a place of ceremony. Last year, Michael Johnson was photographed with the Olympic torch at the stone circle before the London Olympic Games.
From VOA Learning English, this is EXPLORATIONS in Special English. I'm Christopher Cruise.
And I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. Today, we report on new knowledge about Stonehenge, the famous, ancient stone circles in southern England.
Laser technology has aided scientists with their knowledge of Stonehenge, the stone monument near the city of Salisbury, England. Most of the stones at Stonehenge stand in incomplete circles. One of the largest stones weighs about 40 thousand kilograms. Some stones are more than seven meters high. Others lie broken on the ground.
The mysterious stone formation has stood on the flat, windy Salisbury Plain for perhaps five thousand years. But the organization English Heritage used modern technology to solve some of that mystery.
Recently, researchers working for English Heritage reported what they found after directing lasers at some of the stones. The lasers showed bright gray-white surfaces under material collected on the stones over the ages. And the intense light seemingly identified an ancient secret.
The uncovered surfaces appear to have been cut and shaped with a clear purpose. The researchers say the designers of Stonehenge wanted to improve the ability to see sunlight through the circles twice each year.
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