Archaeologists Start Stonehenge Dig

By GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press Writer, General Science / Archaeology & Fossils

Professor Tim Darvill of the University of Bournemouth, right, and Professor Geoff Wainwright of the Society of Antiquaries begin an excavation inside the stone circle of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, Monday March 31, 2008. A major excavation is beginning at Stonehenge as archeologists try to unravel some of the enduring mysteries of the famous prehistoric monument. The work marks the first time archeologists are being allowed to dig inside the stone circle since 1944. A goal of the research is to determine the age of the "bluestones" that were imported from Wales when the first stones were placed at Stonehenge. Experts believe the bluestones were put in place in about 2,600 BC, but this is only an estimate. (AP photo/Chris Ison/PA)

(AP) -- Some of England's most sacred soil was disturbed Monday for the first time in more than four decades as archaeologists worked to solve the enduring riddle of Stonehenge: When and why was the prehistoric monument built?

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