Day 12: Final reckoning

On Friday, after slicing through 4,500 years of history in less than two weeks, Professors Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright downed their trowels. In the trench, the chiselled chalk bedrock of intersecting sockets resembled exposed jaw-bone; the bluestones missing like pulled teeth.

This was a moment for quiet reflection: on the wider significance of the project as well as the personal journeys that had brought the two archaeologists here - the pinnacle of their careers.

"The last two weeks have been a period of great discoveries, very hard work, a lot of friendship... and deep satisfaction that we've achieved what we set out to do", said Professor Wainwright.

Hands were shaken and photos taken, but there was still work to do. The trench was photographed, drawn, measured, scanned and scrutinised like a pinned butterfly. Dr Mike Allen further sampled for organic matter to carbon date in the lab. He hopes it will tell us when the bluestones were originally set in their sockets.

Sunday was hard-labour day. Most of what comes out of a trench gets shovelled back in - a process known as back-filling. In this case there was around two tonnes of the stuff, with sterilized soil replacing material that was permanently removed for study.

It was thirsty work but everybody mucked in, and the final turf was re-laid in the late afternoon. High above Stonehenge, right on cue, storm clouds gathered, rain began to fall and a clap of thunder applauded a job well done.

In the final video (top), Professors Darvill and Wainwright summarise the fortnight's historic events.

Published: April 2008