00:00Stonehenge has long been a mystery to archaeologists, attempting to define why ancient peoples would have built such a structure.
00:10For a while, experts have said they believe it's likely some form of Neolithic calendar, perhaps one that marks specific events during a 365.25 day year.
00:19But now mathematicians and astronomers from the Polytechnic University of Milan refute those claims.
00:25According to those experts, the previous hypothesis was all predicated on a series of forced interpretations, numerology and unsupported analogies with other cultures.
00:34It turns out Stonehenge is just one small part of the archaeological site. One science alert reports includes generations of burial grounds.
00:41The calendar claims are based on the fact that there are 30 horizontal stones resting atop others in the outer circle.
00:47Multiply that by 12, or the months of the year, and you get 360. Adding the five stones of the inner circle gets you 365.
00:54But researchers Mali and Belmonte say the archaeologists added the number 12 for no reason, as it's something not present anywhere else in Stonehenge.
01:02Meanwhile, other numbers of significance that are present at the site are left ignored.
01:06The researchers also add that it's far more likely the builders of Stonehenge didn't look at the sun for keeping dates at all, as its Neolithic builders were more likely to keep a lunar calendar.
01:16Glen Durr.
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