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Stonehenge lintel holes

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slumpystones S
slumpystones Jan 3, 2007 10:39:29
Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:
Maybe the explanation for the weakness of the ring lies with the half-height upright and two missing lintels ? That could also explain why the Southern section is more disturbed than the rest...
Do you mean the stone on the extreme left here -

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/img_fullsize/2046.jpg

Never one to quote stone-numbers, yes, I believe so. Whether half-height due to damage or by design, having the circle broken would weaken the rest of the arc.

N nigelswift
nigelswift Jan 3, 2007 12:38:25
Replying to slumpystones

having the circle broken would weaken the rest of the arc.

Yes, although describing it as a ring beam was probably a misdescription as it actually probably only lends local support, not all-round support like a single solid beam would. My guess is that the primary intention was aesthetic more than engineering - why else make the lintels curved? No engineering advantage in that.