Excavation teams prepare for Stonehenge dig

4:50pm Tuesday 22nd August 2006

ARCHAEOLOGISTS are excavating sites near Stonehenge this weekend giving people the chance to see what life was like in Britain 4,000 years ago.

A team of archaeologists will be carrying out excavations at Woodhenge, Durrington Walls and Stonehenge Cursus to find out how these sites link-up to the Neolithic monument.

Last year a team of archaeologists found the remains of three Neolithic homes at Durrington Walls as well as the first metalled road surface from the period. It formed a ceremonial avenue, which aligned with the Midsummer Solstice sunset. The public can visit the excavations from Saturday until Monday, between 10am and 4pm.

• Stonehenge has been nominated as part of a campaign to select the new Seven Wonders of the World.

The monument will be incorporated into a world tour of shortlisted sites on September 17. The final seven wonders will be picked after a global public vote. Votes can be cast by visiting www.new7wonders.com

Other shortlisted monuments:

EUROPE

• Acropolis, Athens, Greece
• Colosseum, Rome, Italy
• Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
• Alhambra, Granada, Spain
• Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

ASIA

• Kremlin/St Basil's, Moscow, Russia
• Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
• Great Wall of China, Beijing, China
• Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
• Angkir Wat, Cambodia
• Taj Mahal, Delhi, India

AUSTRALASIA

• Sydney Opera House, Australia

AFRICA

• Pyramids, Egypt

NORTH AMERICA

• Statue of Liberty, New York, USA
• SOUTH AMERICA

• Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Easter Island Statues (owned by Chile)
• Pyramids, Chichen Itza, Mexico
• Machu Picchu, Peru