Stonehenge, Doggerland and Atlantis connection

Intoduction

The third book in my trilogy aims to weave together the discoveries made across Britain, with a particular focus on Stonehenge, to shed light on a civilisation that archaeologists have termed the ‘megalithic builders.’ This civilisation is markedly distinct from those that came after, showcasing an extraordinary level of capability and engineering skill in moving vast stones and constructing earthworks that have endured for nearly ten thousand years. These achievements are even more striking when compared to the structures left by the Romans, who occupied these lands for hundreds of years yet left behind fewer enduring monuments. (Atlantis connection)

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The megalithic builders’ legacy, characterised by iconic structures such as Stonehenge, reveals a sophisticated understanding of both engineering and astronomy. Their ability to align massive stones with celestial events suggests a deep connection to their environment and a complex societal organisation capable of undertaking such monumental projects. This civilisation’s accomplishments in stone construction and earthwork highlight their technical prowess and their cultural and spiritual values, as many of these sites are believed to have served practical and functional purposes.

In writing this third book, I aimed to connect the dots between various megalithic sites across Britain and explore the knowledge, skills, and motivations of the people who built them. By examining the evidence left by the megalithic builders, from the stones they transported and erected to the earthworks they shaped, we can gain insights into a civilisation that continues to fascinate and inspire despite its distance in time.

This exploration is an academic exercise and a journey into the heart of a civilisation whose creations still stand as a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance. The megalithic builders may have vanished into the mists of time, but their legacy endures, inviting us to marvel at their achievements and to contemplate our own place in the continuum of human history.

The Megalthic Builders

The megalithic builders, a fascinating civilisation from our prehistoric past, operated on a scale and with a level of cooperation that transcends modern conceptions of boundaries and nation-states. Their domain spanned northern Europe, a testament to their widespread influence and shared cultural or technological practices. Unlike the segmented and often isolated cultures that followed, these ancient builders engaged in monumental constructions that served both the living and the dead, creating long barrows and dolmens as eternal resting places and linear earthwork canals and stone trading circles for the living.

One of the most intriguing aspects of their civilisation is the central role played by an area now submerged beneath the North Sea, known as Doggerland. This now-lost land, which started to succumbed to rising sea levels approximately 9,000 years ago, was once a vital part of a massive Mesolithic landscape. Doggerland connected the British Isles to mainland Europe, serving as a crossroads for people, ideas, and goods. The remnants of this landscape, including the Dogger Bank, provide a tantalising glimpse into a world where megalithic builders thrived, interacting with their environment and each other in sophisticated ways.

The disappearance of Doggerland due to post-glacial sea level rise did not merely result in the loss of land; it marked the end of a significant chapter in human history. This transformation from a vast, interconnected landscape to a series of islands fundamentally altered the trajectory of European civilisation. The megalithic builders’ legacy, however, remains etched in the stone and earthworks that dot the landscape of northern Europe, enduring monuments to their engineering prowess and cosmopolitan outlook.

Their achievements compel us to reconsider our understanding of prehistoric societies, challenging us to appreciate the complexity and depth of human ingenuity long before the advent of written history. The megalithic builders remind us that the desire to connect, communicate, and commemorate is a fundamental aspect of the human condition, transcending time, space, and the ever-changing contours of the earth.

The Stonehenge Connection

We can see from their greatest achievement, Stonehenge, a ‘message in the bottle’ the megalithic builders left us some 5,000 years ago.  Although subsequent civilisations re-used and altered aspects of the Stonehenge Monument, some of the most influential aspects and stones still survive in situ due to the megalithic ability to manoeuvre vast weight, which effectively hindered lesser cultures in their attempt to alter the significance of the site radically.

The origins of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge, described by Professor Hawkins as a “fine-grained pale green sandstone” notable for its mica flakes and glitter”, have long been a subject of speculation among experts. The prevailing theories had pointed towards Wales or Devon as the stone’s source. However, recent findings challenge this perspective, suggesting the stone could have originated from much further afield, potentially from as far north as Scotland. This revelation aligns with my hypothesis, presented in my book over a decade ago, proposing an even more dramatic provenance for the Altar Stone—not just from the north, but from the northeast, specifically from the submerged landscapes of Doggerland.

Doggerland, the now-submerged landmass that once connected the British Isles to mainland Europe, represents a significant part of Mesolithic Europe’s landscape. The suggestion that the Altar Stone might have originated from this ancient and lost territory adds a fascinating layer to our understanding of Stonehenge’s construction. It implies that the builders of Stonehenge not only could transport massive stones over vast distances but also that their network of trade or cultural exchange spanned a far greater area than previously thought, encompassing regions that are now beneath the sea.

The connection between Doggerland and Stonehenge, particularly through the Altar Stone, hints at a deeply intertwined prehistoric landscape that extends beyond current geographical boundaries. The intriguing alignment from the Altar Stone towards the last vestiges of Doggerland, known as the Isle of Dogger, intersects with another enigmatic feature of Stonehenge: the Slaughter Stone. This stone, distinctively recumbent and partially buried by the surrounding ditch, has long puzzled archaeologists. Its unique position within the Stonehenge complex and the name attributed to it by the Druids suggest a significant ceremonial or symbolic role.

The deliberate placement of the Slaughter Stone, when considered in alignment with the direction pointing towards the remnants of Doggerland, could indicate a deliberate, symbolic gesture by the builders of Stonehenge, perhaps to commemorate or maintain a connection with their ancestral lands now submerged beneath the North Sea. This alignment and the specific use of stones from distant locations underscore the profound sense of purpose and meaning the Stonehenge builders invested in the site’s construction.

These potential connections to Doggerland not only expand our understanding of Stonehenge’s geographical and cultural significance but also invite us to consider the broader networks of communication, travel, and exchange that existed in prehistoric Europe. The use of stones from such distant sources and the possible alignments with lost lands hint at an intricate web of relationships and a deep historical consciousness among the people who constructed Stonehenge.

As we continue to unravel the mysteries of Stonehenge and its stones, the importance of considering wider landscapes and connections becomes clear. The potential links to Doggerland offer a tantalising glimpse into the minds of the megalithic builders, revealing a world where memory, landscape, and the movement of materials were intimately connected. These insights challenge us to look beyond the immediate vicinity of prehistoric monuments and to consider the vast, now-hidden landscapes that were once integral to the lives and beliefs of ancient peoples.

This hypothesis challenges the conventional archaeological narrative and suggests a level of sophistication and reach in prehistoric societies that is only beginning to be understood. It underscores the importance of reconsidering and expanding our investigation into the origins and connections of the materials and people involved in creating monumental structures like Stonehenge. As we continue to uncover more about these ancient builders, their methods, and their world, it becomes increasingly clear that their achievements were far more complex and interconnected than once imagined, bridging lands that are now separated by waters but were once part of a vast, interconnected landscape.

The Atlantis Connection

The completion of the quest to pinpoint the homeland of the megalithic builders marks a significant milestone in our understanding of this remarkable civilisation. The evidence of their extraordinary engineering achievements, from constructing monumental stone structures like Stonehenge to creating extensive earthworks such as Silbury Hill, underscores the sophistication and capabilities of these ancient architects and engineers. Without the modern machinery and technology, we rely on today, their achievements in construction speak to a profound understanding of their environment and a remarkable ability to manipulate natural materials to their will.

Given the scale of their constructions and the distances over which materials, such as the stones used in megaliths, were transported, it becomes clear that these builders possessed sophisticated means of transportation. The absence of roads supporting the movement of such massive stones across vast distances suggests that ships and boats were essential to their way of life. Waterways would have served as the arteries of trade, travel, and communication, connecting distant communities and facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural practices across Europe.

This reliance on maritime technology indicates that the megalithic builders were skilled engineers, architects, and adept sailors and navigators. Using boats would have allowed them to traverse prehistoric Europe’s coastal and riverine landscapes, enabling the widespread distribution of their megalithic culture. Such capabilities would have been crucial for orchestrating the large-scale cooperative efforts to construct the monumental stone structures that define their legacy.

The comparison with the maritime achievements of the Greeks and Romans, celebrated for their advancements in shipbuilding and navigation, underscores the significance of the megalithic builders’ accomplishments. Their ability to harness the power of water for transportation and communication is a testament to their ingenuity and a critical factor in their success as a civilisation.

The megalithic builders’ reliance on maritime technology for movement and communication across Europe highlights a sophisticated understanding of their environment and an unparalleled ability to manipulate it to their advantage. This aspect of their civilization offers valuable insights into the complexity of prehistoric societies and challenges us to expand our appreciation of their technological and cultural achievements.

Plato

The tale of Atlantis, as relayed by Plato, stands as one of the most captivating stories from antiquity, blending the lines between historical account and mythological narrative. Over time, the story of this advanced civilisation that supposedly sank into the sea around 9,000 years ago has been transformed by modern interpretations and entertainment into something more akin to science fiction. This transformation has, unfortunately, obscured the significance of Plato’s account, relegating it to the realm of mere fantasy in the eyes of many.

Plato, a philosopher of unparalleled influence in Western thought, presented the story of Atlantis not as a myth but as a recounting of historical fact told to him by Solon, who had learned it from Egyptian priests. According to the narrative, Atlantis was a civilisation of great power and technological prowess, with ships that traversed the globe and a highly advanced society.

The comparison between the story of Atlantis and the archaeological evidence of Doggerland and the megalithic builders is striking. Like the Atlanteans, the people of Doggerland, who lived around 10,000 years ago, exhibited advanced capabilities, particularly in maritime technology. They built monumental structures and possessed the knowledge to navigate and sail to distant lands. This evidence challenges the prevailing academic view of prehistoric societies as simplistic hunter-gatherer tribes and aligns with Plato’s description of Atlantis as a great and advanced civilisation.

Moreover, the presence of notable figures such as Solon, a key figure in the development of democracy in ancient Greece, and Socrates, celebrated for his wisdom, in the dialogues discussing Atlantis, lends credibility to the account. Their involvement suggests that the story was taken seriously by some of the most respected thinkers of the time, who did not dismiss it as mere fiction.

Some academics’ reluctance to accept the possibility of advanced prehistoric civilisations is perhaps understandable, given the scarcity of direct archaeological evidence and the challenge of separating historical fact from myth. However, the megalithic stones and the submerged landscapes of Doggerland offer tangible links to a past that may have been far more complex and interconnected than previously acknowledged.

The possible connection between Doggerland, the story of Atlantis told by Plato, and the initial stages of Stonehenge’s construction around 8300 BCE raises the hypothesis that these ancient events might be related or have a common origin. The dating of Stonehenge’s beginning to such an early era matches the timeline of Plato’s Atlantean civilisation, indicating a potential connection or shared features between the Stonehenge builders and the advanced society described in the Atlantis legend.

This theory challenges commonly accepted beliefs about the achievements and timelines of prehistoric humans. It suggests that Stonehenge, a monument that has fascinated scholars and visitors for centuries, might have originated during the same period as the legendary civilisation of Atlantis. This discovery prompts a reassessment of human activities during the Mesolithic period.

It is possible to imagine a prehistoric world where societies were not only technologically advanced but also well-connected across vast distances, given the architectural complexity and navigational skills demonstrated in the stories of these civilisations. The hypothesis that the megalithic builders, who were capable of maritime travel and the construction of monumental structures like Stonehenge, might have shared a cultural or historical link with the Atlanteans, adds depth to the narrative of human history during the Mesolithic era.

This viewpoint emphasises a more inclusive and transparent approach to archaeology, emphasising the significance of sustained inquiry and the readiness to question conventional historical accounts. With the emergence of new findings that challenge long-standing assumptions, the links between Doggerland, Atlantis, and Stonehenge exemplify the intricate and multifaceted character of early human civilisation’s accomplishments.

Further Reading

For information about British Prehistory, visit www.prehistoric-britain.co.uk for the most extensive archaeology blogs and investigations collection, including modern LiDAR reports.  This site also includes extracts and articles from the Robert John Langdon Trilogy about Britain in the Prehistoric period, including titles such as The Stonehenge Enigma, Dawn of the Lost Civilisation and the ultimate proof of Post Glacial Flooding and the landscape we see today.

Robert John Langdon has also created a YouTube web channel with over 100 investigations and video documentaries to support his classic trilogy (Prehistoric Britain). He has also released a collection of strange coincidences that he calls ‘13 Things that Don’t Make Sense in History’ and his recent discovery of a lost Stone Avenue at Avebury in Wiltshire called ‘Silbury Avenue – the Lost Stone Avenue’.

Langdon has also produced a series of ‘shorts’, which are extracts from his main body of books:

The Ancient Mariners

Stonehenge Built 8300 BCE

Old Sarum

Prehistoric Rivers

Dykes ditches and Earthworks

Echoes of Atlantis

Homo Superior

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