More tangential Pynchon themes. 'ev'ry Stone, lost unified culture, pre-ordained, natural landforms

[Mark Kohut]

So why was Stonehenge built? 
Researchers say the monument symbolizes the unification of Stone Age Britain, which for centuries had been riven by an East-West divide. The stones are thought to represent different tribal factions, brought together in concentric circles to commemorate the peace. The erection of Stonehenge coincided with the development of an "island-wide culture," in which previously insulated and isolated communities began making similar houses, pottery, and tools. 
How did they decide where to put it? 
The scientists say the spot had a "pre-ordained significance," because it sits "upon a series of natural landforms that, by chance, form an axis between the directions of the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset," says the BBC. The scientists speculate that Stone Age Britons might have viewed the solstice-avenued site as the center of the world. 
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