Archaeologists say they have found a huge ancient settlement used by the people who built Stonehenge.

Excavations at Durrington Walls, near the legendary Salisbury Plain monument, uncovered remains of ancient houses.

People seem to have occupied the site seasonally, using it for ritual feasting and funeral ceremonies.

In ancient times, this settlement housed hundreds of people, making it the largest Neolithic village ever found in Britain.

The dwellings date back to 2,600-2,500 BC, the same period that Stonehenge was built.

“In what were houses, we have excavated the outlines on the floors of box beds and wooden dressers or cupboards,” said archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield University.

The researchers have excavated eight dwellings in total that belonged to this settlement. But they have identified many other probable dwellings using geophysical surveying equipment.

The archaeologists think there could have been at least one hundred houses.

Each one would have measured about 5m (16ft) square: “fairly pokey”, according to Professor Parker Pearson.

The dwellings were made of wood, with a clay floor and central hearth. The archaeologists found 4,600-year-old rubbish covering the floors of the houses.

“It is the richest - by that I mean the filthiest - site of this period known in Britain,” Professor Parker Pearson told BBC News.

“We’ve never seen such quantities of pottery and animal bone and flint.”

The Sheffield University researcher thinks the settlement was probably not lived in all year round. Instead, he believes, Stonehenge and Durrington formed a religious complex used for funerary rituals.

Professor Parker Pearson believes it drew Neolithic people from all over the region, who came for massive feasts in the midwinter, where prodigious quantities of food were consumed. The bones were then tossed on the floors of the houses.

“The rubbish isn’t your average domestic debris. There’s a lack of craft-working equipment for cleaning animal hides and no evidence for crop-processing,” he said.

“The animal bones are being thrown away half-eaten. It’s what we call a feasting assemblage. This is where they went to party - you could say it was the first free festival.”

Pigging out

The Durrington settlement has its own henge, this one made of wood. This ancient circle was discovered in 1967 - long before any houses were excavated.

Both henges line up with events in the astronomical calendar - but not the same ones.

Stonehenge is aligned with the midwinter solstice sunset, while the Durrington timber circle is aligned with the midwinter solstice sunrise. They are complementary, says Mike Parker Pearson.

This fits nicely with the idea of a feast held in midwinter, which is supported by analysis of pig teeth found at the site.

“One of the things we can tell from the pig teeth we’ve looked at is that most of them have been slaughtered at nine months. And we think they are farrowing in Spring,” Professor Parker Pearson.

“It’s likely there’s a midwinter cull and that ties in with our midwinter solstice alignments at Durrington and Stonehenge.”

In a separate area, further up the valley, Julian Thomas of Manchester University discovered two other Neolithic houses, each surrounded by a timber fence and ditches.

Sacred monument

But unlike the houses further down the valley, these were free of rubbish: “At first we thought they had been washed out,” Professor Thomas said.

But the researchers now think these dwellings were deliberately kept clean and may have been home to community leaders, wise women, chiefs or priests.

Alternatively, they could have been sacred sites, where people went to carry out rituals.

Professor Parker Pearson believes Durrington’s purpose was to celebrate life and deposit the dead in the river for transport to the afterlife, while Stonehenge was a memorial and even final resting place for some of the dead.

After feasting, he said, the people travelled down the avenue to deposit their dead in the River Avon flowing towards Stonehenge. They then moved along Stonehenge’s main “avenue” to the monument, where they would cremate and bury a select few of their dead.

Stonehenge was therefore a place for these people, who worshipped their ancestors, to commune with the spirits of those who died.

Stonehenge was the largest cemetery in Britain at the time, containing about 250 ashes from cremations.

Source: BBC News

The Tyra Banks Show, a popular daytime talk show hosted by the former supermodel, aired an episode on Monday about “The Lives of Witches,” which included as a guest a Christian author who previously left her life of witchcraft.

Sarah Anne Sumpolec was invited to be on the show after a last minute cancellation, and was an attempt by the producers to bring balance to the show.

The topic of the Monday’s episode is controversial to many Christians who see witchcraft as a dark art. Yet, the involvement of Sumpolec brought a Christian voice to the arena.

“When I was in high school, I was a practicing witch. It wasn’t until college that I became a Christian and came out of that dark world,” Sumpolec said in a statement. “The Tyra producers thought my story of coming out of witchcraft, how it led me to attempt suicide, and my current beliefs about it, was the right balance for their program.”

The fact that Sumpolec was on the show came as a large surprise. She found out about the opportunity from a sudden email, and flew out of an airport only hours later for the Los Angeles taping.

Among the hectic schedule that ensued, the Christian author wanted to be on the show, so that she could show Tyra’s viewers, which number around 2 million per day, that the world of witchcraft can be a very dangerous choice.

“It’s always a blessing when we get to share the truth,” shared Sumpolec in a statement. “Even though I was one lone voice, at least those watching will hear about witchcraft from a different angle.”

The ex-witch has her own ministry back at home which focuses on young adults. She speaks and writes books to warn them about the hazards of witchcraft, because teenagers and twenty-somethings are the most susceptible to the black art.

In addition to Sumpolec, the talk show featured six witches and two Satanists.

Source: Christian Post

Each February, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged, while individuals send notes with expressions of love. All of these activities take place in the name of the somewhat elusive “Valentine.” But, who is Valentine? This Valentine’s Day, History.com has created a fully interactive resource to teach site visitors exactly why they are buying those dozens of roses each year. History.com’s Valentine’s Day feature, which includes the complete history of Valentine’s Day, various Valentine’s Day- related video clips and even legendary love letters from one of history’s greatest couple, is available now at .

History.com’s Valentine’s Day destination Web site includes the following Valentine’s Day history and trivia:

* Who is Valentine? The Web site details Valentine’s Day’s mysterious history including who Valentine is and how today the Catholic Church recognizes not one, but three different saints named Valentine whom were martyred. Other historical tidbits include how Valentine supposedly sent the original “valentine” greeting himself to a young girl he fell in love with while in prison, signing the letter with the now-famous signature, “from your Valentine.” * Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14? Answers to this question vary. Some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated to commemorate the death of Valentine while others claim the Christian Church decided to celebrate the Valentine’s feast in the middle of February in an effort to “christianize” the pagan Lupercalia festival, a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. * Who sends Valentine’s? Approximately 85 percent of valentines are purchased by women who live in one of the six regions that acknowledge the holiday: the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

History.com’s feature also includes a variety of other Valentine’s themed data and historical accounts, including how many Valentine’s are exchanged yearly, the amount of marriages that take place annually and the number of jewelry stores currently in the U.S. In addition to providing trivia and historical information, the site features relationship profiles on legendary couples: Harry and Bess Truman (including original love letters between the couple), Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Jackie and Rachel Robinson.

“The history of Valentine’s Day is extremely ambiguous and we are excited to be able to deliver a comprehensive resource devoted to this elusive holiday,” said Dr. Libby O’Connell, senior vice president, corporate outreach and chief historian, AETN. “We are dedicated to providing our viewers with a series of entertaining and interactive resources and our Valentine’s Day feature is indicative of that commitment.”

In addition to being able to view a variety of informational resources, visitors of History.com’s Valentine’s Day feature will have access to a wide assortment of videos. These videos include a historical kissing contest, an ice wedding, an account of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, a clip from Charlie Chaplin’s “The Bond of Marriage” film and more.

About History.com

About The History Channel

The History Channel(R) is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned four Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, ten News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network’s Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 91 million Nielsen subscribers.

Source: Earthtimes.org

Each February, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged, while individuals send notes with expressions of love. All of these activities take place in the name of the somewhat elusive “Valentine.” But, who is Valentine? This Valentine’s Day, History.com has created a fully interactive resource to teach site visitors exactly why they are buying those dozens of roses each year. History.com’s Valentine’s Day feature, which includes the complete history of Valentine’s Day, various Valentine’s Day- related video clips and even legendary love letters from one of history’s greatest couple, is available now at .

History.com’s Valentine’s Day destination Web site includes the following Valentine’s Day history and trivia:

* Who is Valentine? The Web site details Valentine’s Day’s mysterious history including who Valentine is and how today the Catholic Church recognizes not one, but three different saints named Valentine whom were martyred. Other historical tidbits include how Valentine supposedly sent the original “valentine” greeting himself to a young girl he fell in love with while in prison, signing the letter with the now-famous signature, “from your Valentine.” * Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14? Answers to this question vary. Some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated to commemorate the death of Valentine while others claim the Christian Church decided to celebrate the Valentine’s feast in the middle of February in an effort to “christianize” the pagan Lupercalia festival, a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. * Who sends Valentine’s? Approximately 85 percent of valentines are purchased by women who live in one of the six regions that acknowledge the holiday: the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

History.com’s feature also includes a variety of other Valentine’s themed data and historical accounts, including how many Valentine’s are exchanged yearly, the amount of marriages that take place annually and the number of jewelry stores currently in the U.S. In addition to providing trivia and historical information, the site features relationship profiles on legendary couples: Harry and Bess Truman (including original love letters between the couple), Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Jackie and Rachel Robinson.

“The history of Valentine’s Day is extremely ambiguous and we are excited to be able to deliver a comprehensive resource devoted to this elusive holiday,” said Dr. Libby O’Connell, senior vice president, corporate outreach and chief historian, AETN. “We are dedicated to providing our viewers with a series of entertaining and interactive resources and our Valentine’s Day feature is indicative of that commitment.”

In addition to being able to view a variety of informational resources, visitors of History.com’s Valentine’s Day feature will have access to a wide assortment of videos. These videos include a historical kissing contest, an ice wedding, an account of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, a clip from Charlie Chaplin’s “The Bond of Marriage” film and more.

About History.com

About The History Channel

The History Channel(R) is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned four Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, ten News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network’s Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 91 million Nielsen subscribers.

Source: Earthtimes.org