Archaeologists Theorize England’s Mysterious Big Ben Monument Originally Constructed To Measure Time

LONDON—Archaeologists excavating a site around the iconic monument theorized Monday that England’s mysterious Big Ben might have originally been constructed to measure time. “For generations, we have speculated upon the purpose of this enigmatic monolith, but we’re now reasonably certain that it was created as a sort of primitive timekeeping device,” said Oxford University archaeologist and lead researcher Dr. Peter Munnery, describing evidence that suggested the primitive society originally built it as an altar to their “near-fanatical relationship” with the idea of time and its passage. “Of course, we’re just theorizing, but the circle and the three dials within might symbolize the sun and the shadows cast from its rays. What’s truly incredible is that to this day one can look at the monument and get a rough sense of the current time.” The team added that although its origins had been lost to history, the name Big Ben might have originally referred to some sort of all-powerful sun god.