![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/main_stone.jpg)
Excavation at Stonehenge
For the first time in nearly 45 years, an archaeological dig is being conducted at Stonehenge's "Double Bluestone Circle," the first stone structure that was built on the ancient site.
The excavation—which will last from March 31 to April 11—is being led by two renowned Stonehenge academics: Professor Tim Darvill of University of Bournemouth and Professor Geoffrey Wainwright, President of the Society of Antiquaries. Darvill and Wainright speculate that Stonehenge was a center for healing and not a place for the dead, as many previous scholars have believed.
Return to this site during the next two weeks to read updated dispatches from Stonehenge.
Dispatch from Stonehenge
![Stonehenge excavation site](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*109/dis5-stonehenge-388.jpg)
Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 14
April 13: The Druids Bless Our Departure
![Digging trench](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*109/dis4-stonehenge-388.jpg)
Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 10
April 9: Archaeology in a Fishbowl
![Digging the trench](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*109/dis3-stonehenge-388.jpg)
Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 9
April 8: The Clock is Ticking
![Media at the Stonehenge excavation site](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*109/stonehenge_danjones_388.jpg)
Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 2
April 1st: An Ill Wind Blows
![An aerial view of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*109/dispatch1-388.jpg)
Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 1
March 31st: The Excavation Begins
Learn more about Stonehenge
![Work on Stonehenge began around 3000 B.C., with a ditch circling wood posts.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*121/mystery_step1.jpg)
Mystery Man of Stonehenge
Who was he and where did he come from? And what was his role in the making of the great monument? The discovery of a 4,300-year-old skeleton surrounded by intriguing artifacts has archaeologists abuzz
![Ring of Brodgar is on the Orkney Islands](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/204*109/stones_main_388.jpg)
Romancing the Stones
Who built the great megaliths and stone circles of Great Britain, and why? Researchers continue to puzzle and marvel over these age-old questions
EXPLORE ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
![The Parthenon, said the 19th-century French engineer Auguste Choisy, represents "the supreme effort of genius in pursuit of beauty."](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/145*78/parthenon-feb08-388.jpg)
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Unlocking Mysteries of the Parthenon
Efforts to restore the ancient temple of Athena are yielding new insights
![A huddle grows around the high priests, with one young priest bearing an ikon, or holy picture, while others hold ornate gold and silver crosses.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/145*78/lostark_main_dec07_388.jpg)
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Keepers of the Lost Ark?
Christians in Ethiopia have long claimed to have the ark of the covenant. Our reporter investigated
![Rano Raraku statue quarry](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/145*78/easter-2statuesapr07-388.jpg)
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The Mystery of Easter Island
New findings rekindle old debates about when the first people arrived and why their civilization collapsed
![In June 2007, the remains of the enigmatic Queen Hatshepsut were finally identified, thanks to a tooth and a CT scan.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/145*78/egypt-ten388.jpg)
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Digging up Egypt's Treasures
The ten most significant discoveries in the past 20 years
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Photo Gallery
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/76*55/stonehenge-main.jpg)
Stonehenge Slideshow
Explore photos of Great Britain's prehistoric site
FROM THE SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/76*57/stonehenge-4.jpg)
Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge
Ongoing coverage of this historic excavation—including video clips
FROM THE SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116002200im_/http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/author.jpg)
Lost in the Preseli Hills
David Royle's blog on the dig at Stonehenge