Stonehenge could have had musical purpose, researchers suggest

When it comes to historical mystery, few locales draw as much attention as Stonehenge. The English landmark invites a number of questions: Who built it? How did they tow and erect the massive stones that form the monument? And most importantly, why did they build it? Some archaeologists have suggested the iconic structure was made for music.

Researchers know that there has to be some use for the structure, based on the specifics and logistics that went into erecting it. The natives of the area didn't just grab whatever large rocks happened to be lying around: They towed the enormous bluestones from hundreds of kilometers away. The obvious effort put into selecting bluestones suggests that the rock had a specific meaning or use.

Bluestone is one of several varieties of rock that has been proven to provide a "clang" when struck at the right angle, versus the thud expected from typical stones. Ancient civilizations have been proven to have used rocks as percussive instruments across Europe and Africa: Rocks in France and the Serengeti-which possess the curious tone-show chips that indicate they were beaten on with other stones, thus creating music, or at least something like it.

Researchers have already theorized that Stonehenge provided an excellent place for leaders to speak to crowds, thanks to the acoustics provided by the circular setup. Just like in a auditorium, sounds would echo and resound across the space in between. The blue rock theory suggests that theoretical musicians could produce music by beating the slabs of the structure, and the series of echoes could have had an otherworldly effect.

Spinal Tap would agree.