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Secrets of Lost Empires I—Stonehenge
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Program Overview
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Ancient structures may generate awe and provide information about the people
who built them, but they leave many questions unanswered: How were they
constructed? What technologies were available to the builders? What tools did
they use?
In this four-part mini series, NOVA brings together experts from diverse fields
to reconstruct how these monuments might have been built. For each structure,
individual teams are challenged to create a scale model using the materials and
scientific knowledge thought to be available at the time of original
construction (although at times they resort to modern methods). By applying
their knowledge of each culture, their expertise in building techniques, and a
process of trial and error, the teams attempt to reconstruct these ancient
technological wonders.
Stonehenge
 A distinctive feature of this stone site are the trilithons, which consist of
two upright stones topped by a horizontal lintel stone. In this program, the
NOVA team considers how to transport and raise the massive stones, as well as
how to place the lintel stone on top. By comparing different strategies and
adapting ramps, levers, and other tools that might have been available to the
ancient builders, the team works to meet the challenge.
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