The latest Stonehenge
research reached an interesting conclusion that the ancient monument might have in fact been used as a giant musical instrument.
reports, the Royal College of Art
research team "spent months"
tapping the Stonehenge rocks, also known as bluestones, only to discover that they produce a unique, "singing"
sound."We found it was a noteworthy soundscape, with a significant percentage of the actual rocks making metallic sounds like bells, gongs, tin drums, etc, when tapped with small, handheld 'hammerstones,'"
said Paul Devereux of the research team. "There had to be something special about these rocks, otherwise why would you take them from Wales all the way to Salisbury Plain? "The stones may have been thought to have magical qualities because of their exceptional sonic nature,"
Interestingly enough, Dr. Robert Till
of the University of Huddersfield is well acquainted with Stonehenge's audio qualities. "
[Victorian writer] Thomas Hardy even mentioned it,"
he said. "Until relatively recently there used to be a hammer attached by a chain to one of the larger stones. The story was it was so that visitors could chip bits off as a souvenir, but it’s just as likely it was for hitting the stone to hear the sound it made."