Modern technology may be the key to unlock hidden secrets about an ancient monument: Stonehenge.
Researchers are using lasers to scan the nearly three dozen stones, or megaliths, that make up the famous circular complex on the Salisbury Plain of southern England.
The vertical stones -- over 10 feet tall and weighing many tons -- form the site that's believed to be nearly 5,000 years old. And nobody is sure why or how Stonehenge was originally built.
This new survey will capture a lot more information on the subtleties of the monument and its surrounding landscape, said Paul Bryan of English Heritage, an adviser to the British government on historic buildings and monuments.
English Heritage is using both 3D laser scanning and digital imaging technology to survey every inch of every stone at Stonehenge. The end result should be the most accurate digital model ever created of the famous site.
Archaeologists have suggested a variety of reasons for the origin of Stonehenge, including its possible use as a burial ground or as a sophisticated astronomical observatory. Researchers have speculated that the huge stones were placed in precise positions to observe the heavens.
Researchers also hope their laser scans will shed light on so-called rock art, carved pictures and modern graffiti embedded in some of the giant stones.
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