Whether it was a Druid temple, an astronomical calendar or a centre for healing, the mystery of Stonehenge has sparked endless debate over the centuries. Now a dramatic new theory suggests that the prehistoric stone circle monument was in fact 'an ancient Mecca on stilts'. The megaliths would not have been used for ceremonies at ground level, but would instead have supported a wooden platform on which ceremonies were performed to the rotating heavens, according to new research. Scroll down for video . Historian Julian Spalding has provided a new theory on Stonehenge. He says the stones were pillars used to support a raised platform during ceremonies. As shown in this illustration, steps or a ramp would have led to the top of the platform, where figures of importance would have stood, perhaps addressing a crowd below . Julian Spalding, former director of some of the UK's leading museums, argues that the stones were foundations for a vast platform, long since lost - 'a great altar' raised up high towards the heavens and able to take the weight of hundreds of worshippers. 'It's a totally different theory which has never been put forward before,' he said. 'All the interpretations to date could be mistaken. We've been looking at Stonehenge the wrong way, from the earth, which is very much a 20th-century viewpoint. We haven't been thinking about what they were thinking about.' Part of his evidence lies in ancient civilisations worldwide. As far afield as China, Peru and Turkey, such sacred monuments were built high up, whether on manmade or natural sites, and with circular patterns possibly linked to celestial movements. 'In early times, no spiritual ceremonies would have been performed on the ground,' said Mr Spalding. No-one is exactly sure why - and how - Stonehenge was built more than 4,000 years ago. Experts have suggested it was a temple, parliament and a graveyard. Some people think the stones have healing powers, while others think they have musical properties when struck with a stone. They could have acted as a giant musical instrument to call ancient people to the monument. What is clear, is that the stones were aligned with phases of the sun. People were buried there and skeletal evidence shows that people travelled hundreds of miles to visit Stonehenge - for whatever reason. Experts think that the route was a busy one and that Stonehenge could be viewed differently from different positions. It seems that instead of being a complete barrier, the Curcus acted as a gateway to guide visitors to the stone circle. 'The Pharaoh of Egypt and the Emperor of China were always carried - as the Pope used to be… The feet of holy people were not allowed to touch the ground. We've been looking at Stonehenge from a modern, earth-bound perspective. 'All the great raised altars of the past suggest that the people who built Stonehenge would never have performed celestial ceremonies on the lowly earth… That would have been unimaginably insulting to the immortal beings, for it would have brought them down from heaven to bite the dust and tread in the dung.' However, he says the wood that would have been used for the platform has long since rotted away, leaving only the stone pillars that support it behind. Mr Spalding's museum directorships include Glasgow, which boasts world-class archaeological collections within a complex of institutions that exceed the British Museum in size. Today, he published his theories in a new book, titled Realisation: From Seeing to Understanding - The Origins of Art, published by Wilmington Square Books. It explores our ancestors' understanding of the world, offering new explanations of iconic works of art and monuments. Shown is an illustration of a Druid ceremony at Stonehenge more than 4,000 years ago. This depiction does not take the new wooden platform theory into account . Stonehenge, built in stages between 3000 and 2000 BC, is England's most famous prehistoric monument, a Unesco World Heritage site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire that draws more than one million annual visitors. It began as a timber circle, later made permanent with massive blocks of stone, many somehow dragged from dolerite rock in the Welsh mountains. Dolerite has a bluish tinge and is dappled with white spots that look like stars, according to Mr Spalding. 'These megaliths, weighing between two and four tons each, were transported 250 miles [400km], an extraordinary achievement in those times, which indicates that building Stonehenge was a massive communal enterprise,' he said. Sacred circle: Julian Spalding, former director of some of the UK's leading museums, argues that the stones (aerial view shown) were foundations for a vast platform, long since lost - 'a great altar' raised up high towards the heavens and able to take the weight of hundreds of worshippers . Mystery: Previously it had been thought the arrangement of the stones was solely to align with the sun (shown), but Mr Spalding's new theory suggests they had another purpose as well . He believes that ancient worshippers would have reached the giant altar by climbing curved wooden ramps or staircases, moving in the direction of the slowly circulating stars for ceremonies dedicated to, for example, a dead king's soul or midsummer and solstice celebrations. His theories have been shaped by visits to ancient sites like the stone circles of Göbekli Tepe in southern Turkey, reminiscent of Stonehenge but predating it by around 6,000 years. Only a fraction of the site has been excavated, and the purpose of its T-shaped pillars is a mystery, Spalding said: 'These must have supported some sort of raised platform.' He also points to the Nazca Lines in Peru, vast drawings apparently etched into Earth's surface more than 2,000 years ago on to a high natural plateau above the villages where they lived: 'They went up to the sacred place. These lines were a processional way, which followed the movement and shape of the stars. 'The great mystery of early man was that we all thought the world was flat. Everyone did until very recent times. All the major religious ceremonies, as the Haj still does in Mecca, always ends in a circular motion, going round and round, which imitates the stars.' Holy: 'All the major religious ceremonies, as the Haj still does in Mecca, always ends in a circular motion, going round and round, which imitates the stars,' said Mr Spalding. Shown is Mecca in Saudi Arabia during Laylat al-Qadr, on the 27th of Ramadan, one of the holiest nights of the Islamic calendar . Professor Vincent Gaffney, principal investigator on the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project at Bradford University, responded with 'a fair degree of scepticism.' He said: 'At Stonehenge, there are other structures which are clearly designed to be viewed from the ground, along astronomic alignments, and you can see the sky from pretty much anywhere.' Sir Barry Cunliffe, a prehistorian and Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology, Oxford University, said: 'He could be right, but I know of no evidence to support it… There are a large number of stone circles around the country which clearly didn't have a platform on top. So why should Stonehenge?' But Aubrey Burl, an authority on prehistoric stone circles, said: 'There could be something in it. There is a possibility, of course. Anything new and worthwhile about Stonehenge is well worth looking into, but with care and consideration.' Mr Spalding also points to the Nazca Lines in Peru ('hands' design shown), vast drawings apparently etched into Earth's surface more than 2,000 years ago on to a high natural plateau above the villages where they lived, as being similar in purpose to Stonehenge . Mr Spalding is fully expecting resistance from fellow academics. He draws parallels with the 1868 discovery of magnificent prehistoric ceiling paintings in the Altamira Cave in Spain, by a geologist and archaeologist. 'He went in there and looked on the ground - because he assumed all the evidence for early man would be on the ground,' he said. 'It never occurred to him to look up. It was his young daughter who said, papa look on the ceiling.' Experts at the time denounced those paintings as forgeries. It was not until the end of the 19th century that they were accepted as genuine.
Historian Julian Spalding has provided a new theory on Stonehenge . He says the stones were pillars used to support a raised platform . This would have had people of importance upon it, with others below . A ramp or stairs would have led to the top of the platform . But the wood has long since rotted away, leaving only the stones behind .