Stonehenge

A FIFO pork processing plant (preparing/butchering, curing, smoking), food preservation with engineered shadow and light as primary function, in addition to a celebration and funeral space

Stonehenge in UK (construction between 3000-1500 BCE)-

I argue was a food preservation operation using First In First Out organizing method. The primary intent for this structure was food preservation. It took upwards of 1500 years of building and additional changes. This energy would not be wasted on something that didn’t have impact on overall survival and abundance. Stones were brought in from miles away. Sarsen and Bluestones were temperature stabilizing (holds heat and releases slowly -keeps surrounding cool and stable). Shadow and light was deliberately engineered and the celestial alignment was a merely circumstance of this. 90%. of the bones found were pig. I argue the space was used for butchering, curing, smoking and/or preparing with rope lines attached from the inner horseshoe to the surrounding timber (Aubrey holes), that would follow the path of the shadow and/or the sun depending on process.

The rope marks on stone art attributed often to their transportation but I argue many of them on top of outer Sarsen circle are from tension/repeated use. The people of Stonehenge made hooks (presumed to be just for fishing, but I argue for rope as well). Food preparation items and tools were found in the area as well. The Altar stone in center of horseshoe I argue was always horizontal and could have been using for cutting the meat. It is the only stone made of Old Red Sandstone which, in addition to being temperature stabilizing, is highly, highly absorbent.

Mounds align right where shadow would fall throughout the day where someone would possibly move the rope along another notch keeping within shadow (or light).

If they did have salt it would have been extremely limited. Curing could have happened with other ingredients as well. Hanging meat reduces contamination and spoiling risk. It also tenderizes meat.

There are human remains in Aubrey holes and elsewhere, we see in later Celtic beliefs from the area that souls of the dead could attach to the living and also that burial locations were sacred and protected. These human remains at Stonehenge could have been placed as protection of the food and space.

We know the population from Neolithic to Bronze was between 250-500k and possibly more. This is a little less than the population of Atlanta or Miami. The pigs came from all over, not a central location. And the people of Stonehenge and surrounding areas consumed a lot of pig meat. They also used donkey for transportation.

There is evidence some stones (larger Sarsen and the smaller bluestones) were heated and there was charcoal left behind. In addition to temporarily keeping cool while butchering and preparing, smoking the meat could have also been a use of this structure. The stones can regulate meat and reduce/absorb moisture. Smoked meat could have then been taken or consumed, or transported and placed in storage just two miles away in Durrington Walls where there are 20 large underground structures (10 meters wide, 5 meters deep) used for food and meat storage. In these structures, cattle and pig remains were found along with remnants of grain and pots that once contained milk, cheese and butter.

I will include more supporting evidence as I find it.

I hope to test or have my theory tested with a smaller scale physical replica.

#porkhenge