[ad_1]
Thousands of people greeted the sun with cheers as it rose Stonehenge for the summer solstice, days after the ancient monument was sprayed with orange paint.
Those watching the spectacle at the Neolithic structure in Wiltshire encountered a chilly morning accompanied by misty fields as the sun shone above the horizon at 4.52am on Friday.
Earlier this week the heritage site was attacked by Just Stop Oil protesters. Wiltshire Police said a man in his 70s and a woman in her 20s had been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, damaging an ancient monument and preventing a person from carrying out a lawful business.
Many of those attending the solstice expressed disappointment and disapproval of the protest.
Sally Ann Spence, an archeology enthusiast dressed as a shaman from the Mesolithic period that predates Stonehenge, said the solstice was “incredibly important”.
“I understand their cause, I respect their cause. I just wish they hadn’t done that to Stonehenge,” she said. “I think putting anything on the stones is a bit wrong, there are very rare lichens on the stones, it’s a world heritage site.”
She added: “Being here for the solstice and representing a shaman – of course from a different time period – is a brilliant experience.
“It’s exciting. It’s very busy at the moment and I like it because I use it as an opportunity to talk to people about real archaeology.”
Laura DeBain, who attended the solstice at Stonehenge for the fifth time, said simply stopping the oil sprinkling of the monument was “horrible”.
“If you’re going to make a protest go somewhere, it’s going to mean something, not in a historic place like this because there’s no oil here, it’s sacred ground.”
DeBain said he was glad the protest didn’t derail the event and people were still able to come out and enjoy it.
Stonehenge is a monument built on the alignment of the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset.
On the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone – the ancient entrance to the Stone Circle – and the sun’s rays focus on the center of the monument.
The solstice is believed to have been celebrated at Stonehenge for thousands of years.
The summer solstice occurs when one of the Earth’s poles is at its maximum tilt toward the sun and the sun reaches its highest position in the sky, providing the longest period of daylight of the year.
[ad_2]
