637:
450:
126:
around the stone monument (the presence of the stones would have prevented an accurate circle from being scribed from the geometric centre of the site). The distances between the two circuits appears to have been established by the geometry of simple square and circle relationships (i.e. the Z Hole circuit is contained within a square inscribed within the Y Hole circuit).
71:, tapering to a flat base typically close to 1 m × 0.5 m. The inner Z holes, of which only 29 are known (the missing hole Z 8 may lie beneath the fallen Sarsen stone 8), are slightly larger, on average by some 0.1 m. They can be best described as wedge-shaped. The diameter of the Y Hole circuit, i.e. the best-fit circle, is some 54
96:
17:
54:
18 of the Y Holes have been excavated, and 16 of the Z Holes. Further evidence of the Y and Z Holes being late in the sequence of events at
Stonehenge is demonstrated by the fact that hole Z 7 was found to cut into the backfill of the construction ramp for stone 7 of the Sarsen
121:
Attempts at interpreting the methods of construction used in building the stone monument sometimes show the Y and Z Holes used to locate temporary scaffold–like timber structures or A-frames. The fact that the stonework has been shown to be around 700 or 800 years earlier than the Y and
125:
Some interpretations introduce the idea that the holes were deliberately laid out in a spiral pattern. However, their irregular pattern still retains an integrity that can be explained as reciprocal errors created by prehistoric surveyors using a cord (equal to the radius of each circuit) passed
86:
A landscape investigation of the
Stonehenge site was conducted in April 2009 and a shallow bank, little more than 10 cm (4 inches) high, was identified between the two hole-circles. A further bank lies inside the Z Hole circle. These are interpreted as the spread of spoil from the
82:
The fills of the holes was found to be largely stone-free, and are thought to be the result of the gradual accumulation of wind-blown material. Examples of almost every material, both natural and artefactual, that have been found elsewhere at
Stonehenge have been retrieved from their fills; this
122:
Z Holes clearly precludes the possibility that the holes were cut for constructional purposes. For the same reason, the Y and Z Holes cannot be logically introduced into any scheme that suggests they performed a structural function within the design of the stone monument.
47:, who, on removing the topsoil over a wide area, noted them as clearly visible patches of "humus" against the chalk substrate. Hawley named them Y and Z because for a short time he had earlier labelled the recently discovered
107:
who investigated two of the holes (Y 16 and Z 16) in 1953, thought that there had ever been uprights of timber or stone in the holes. Atkinson suggested that they had been intended to house
40:, and a slightly earlier date was determined for material retrieved from Z 29. These dates make the Y and Z holes the last known structural activity at Stonehenge.
111:
but the question remains unresolved. Although unique in many ways, a similarity of form between these holes and the contemporary grave pits under the
305:
279:
254:
154:
28:
are two rings of concentric (though irregular) circuits of 30 and 29 near-identical pits cut around the outside of the Sarsen Circle at
349:
596:
458:
617:
566:
83:
includes pottery of later periods (Iron Age, Romano-British, and
Medieval) as well as coins, horseshoe nails, and human remains.
529:
87:
original holes, or more speculatively as hedge banks from vegetation deliberately planted to screen the activities within.
580:
541:
404:
535:
145:
551:
389:
591:
374:
342:
574:
429:
104:
546:
424:
661:
640:
503:
488:
335:
586:
187:
33:
20:
A plan of the Y and Z Hole circuits at
Stonehenge in relation to the central stone structure
493:
301:
275:
250:
219:
150:
556:
513:
179:
622:
612:
498:
399:
419:
246:
239:
44:
655:
508:
409:
191:
36:
of antlers deliberately placed in hole Y 30 provided a date of around 1600
468:
379:
48:
449:
99:
The concentric relationships between the Y and Z Holes (after
Johnson, 2008)
394:
358:
183:
112:
108:
29:
223:
483:
473:
434:
384:
170:
Hawley, Lt-Col W. (1923). "Third Report on the
Excavations at Stonehenge".
478:
115:
414:
63:
The outer Y ring consists of 30 holes averaging 1.7
214:
Field, David; et al. (March 2010). "Introducing
Stonehenge".
94:
76:
72:
68:
64:
15:
95:
331:
218:(111). York, England: Council for British Archaeology: 32–35.
37:
16:
327:
32:. The current view is that both circuits are contemporary.
143:
Cleal, R. M. J.; Walker, K. E.; Montague, R. (1995).
75:, and that of the Z Hole series, around 39
298:
Solving
Stonehenge: The New Key to an Ancient Enigma
149:. London, U.K.: English Heritage. pp. 260–264.
605:
565:
522:
457:
365:
238:
343:
8:
350:
336:
328:
300:. Thames & Hudson. pp. 197–206.
135:
43:The holes were discovered in 1923 by
7:
597:Stonehenge replicas and derivatives
118: mounds has been pointed out.
178:. Oxford University Press: 13–20.
14:
618:Megalithic architectural elements
636:
635:
448:
204:Cleal, et al. (1995), p 260
530:Archaeoastronomy and Stonehenge
274:. London: Arrow. p. 294.
1:
581:Bringing Back the Bluestones
542:Stonehenge Riverside Project
405:Laser scanning at Stonehenge
536:Stonehenge in its landscape
146:Stonehenge in its landscape
678:
631:
552:Theories about Stonehenge
446:
390:Excavations at Stonehenge
321:Johnson, 2008, p 256
245:. Penguin Books. p.
237:Atkinson, R J C. (1979).
184:10.1017/s0003581500004558
592:Stonehenge Free Festival
575:Battle of the Beanfield
172:The Antiquaries Journal
430:Stonehenge road tunnel
100:
21:
98:
51:as the X holes.
19:
547:The Salisbury Museum
425:Stonehenge Landscape
296:Johnson, A. (2008).
103:Neither Hawley, nor
504:Stonehenge Aotearoa
489:Maryhill Stonehenge
216:British Archaeology
587:Polytantric Circle
270:Pitts, M. (2000).
101:
34:Radiocarbon dating
26:Y and Z Holes
22:
649:
648:
494:Mystical Horizons
307:978-0-500-05155-9
281:978-0-7126-7954-1
256:978-0-14-020450-6
156:978-1-85074-605-8
669:
639:
638:
557:Wiltshire Museum
514:Wally Wallington
452:
352:
345:
338:
329:
322:
319:
313:
311:
293:
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267:
261:
260:
244:
234:
228:
227:
211:
205:
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196:
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167:
161:
160:
140:
105:Richard Atkinson
677:
676:
672:
671:
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668:
667:
666:
652:
651:
650:
645:
627:
623:Mount Killaraus
613:Earth mysteries
601:
561:
518:
499:Phonehenge West
461:and derivatives
460:
453:
444:
400:Heelstone Ditch
367:
361:
356:
326:
325:
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316:
308:
295:
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269:
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264:
257:
236:
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169:
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142:
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137:
132:
93:
61:
12:
11:
5:
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664:
654:
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632:
629:
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589:
584:
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569:
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554:
549:
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539:
532:
526:
524:
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519:
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516:
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491:
486:
481:
476:
471:
465:
463:
455:
454:
447:
445:
443:
442:
437:
432:
427:
422:
420:Station Stones
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
387:
382:
377:
371:
369:
363:
362:
357:
355:
354:
347:
340:
332:
324:
323:
314:
306:
288:
280:
262:
255:
229:
206:
197:
162:
155:
134:
133:
131:
128:
92:
91:Interpretation
89:
60:
57:
45:William Hawley
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
674:
663:
660:
659:
657:
642:
634:
633:
630:
624:
621:
619:
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611:
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585:
583:
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564:
558:
555:
553:
550:
548:
545:
543:
540:
538:
537:
533:
531:
528:
527:
525:
521:
515:
512:
510:
509:Stonehenge II
507:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
466:
464:
462:
456:
451:
441:
440:Y and Z Holes
438:
436:
433:
431:
428:
426:
423:
421:
418:
416:
413:
411:
410:Q and R Holes
408:
406:
403:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
372:
370:
366:Structure and
364:
360:
353:
348:
346:
341:
339:
334:
333:
330:
318:
315:
309:
303:
299:
292:
289:
283:
277:
273:
266:
263:
258:
252:
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173:
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147:
139:
136:
129:
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119:
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106:
97:
90:
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84:
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78:
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70:
66:
58:
56:
52:
50:
46:
41:
39:
35:
31:
27:
18:
579:
534:
469:Achill-henge
439:
380:Aubrey holes
368:surroundings
317:
297:
291:
271:
265:
240:
232:
215:
209:
200:
175:
171:
165:
144:
138:
124:
120:
102:
85:
81:
67:× 1.14
62:
53:
49:Aubrey Holes
42:
25:
23:
375:Altar Stone
59:Description
662:Stonehenge
567:In culture
395:Heel Stone
359:Stonehenge
272:Hengeworld
241:Stonehenge
130:References
113:Bronze Age
109:bluestones
30:Stonehenge
484:Foamhenge
474:Bamahenge
435:Trilithon
385:Bluestone
224:1357-4442
192:162478926
656:Category
641:Category
606:Concepts
479:Carhenge
459:Replicas
55:Circle.
523:Studies
415:Sarsen
304:
278:
253:
222:
190:
153:
116:Barrow
188:S2CID
302:ISBN
276:ISBN
251:ISBN
220:ISSN
151:ISBN
24:The
180:doi
38:BCE
658::
249:.
247:36
186:.
174:.
79:.
351:e
344:t
337:v
312:.
310:.
286:.
284:.
259:.
226:.
194:.
182::
176:3
159:.
77:m
73:m
69:m
65:m
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