Stonehenge, Wiltshire: World Heritage Site

Stonehenge in Wiltshire is perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument.

It was built in several stages: the first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC.

In the early Bronze Age, many burial mounds were built nearby.

Today, Stonehenge forms the heart of a World Heritage Site, with a unique concentration of prehistoric monuments.

The exact purpose behind the construction of Stonehenge remains a subject of speculation and debate among archaeologists, historians, and scholars.

While no definitive answer exists, several theories have been proposed to explain why Stonehenge was built.

One prevailing theory suggests that Stonehenge was constructed as an astronomical observatory or calendar.

The alignment of certain stones with the movements of the sun and moon, particularly during the solstices and equinoxes, supports this idea.

It's believed that Stonehenge may have been used to track celestial events, such as the changing seasons, to mark important agricultural and religious dates, or to predict eclipses.

Another widely accepted theory posits that Stonehenge served as a religious or ceremonial site for ancient peoples.

The monument's imposing stone structures, circular layout, and alignment with celestial bodies suggest it may have been used for rituals, ceremonies, or gatherings of spiritual significance.

Some researchers believe it was a place for communal worship, ancestor veneration, or rites associated with fertility and renewal.

Evidence also suggests that it was used as a burial ground, with cremated human remains found in and around the site.

It's possible that the monument served as a place for the interment of elite individuals or as a sacred space where ancestors were honoured and remembered.

How did they move the stones?

The methods by which the ancient builders transported and erected the massive stones of Stonehenge also remain a subject of fascination and debate among archaeologists and historians.

While the exact techniques used are not definitively known, several more theories have been proposed based on archaeological evidence, experimental archaeology, and ethnographic studies of traditional techniques.

One prevalent theory suggests that the builders used sledges and wooden rollers to transport the stones over land from their quarries to the Stonehenge site.

This method would have involved dragging the stones across the landscape using ropes and manpower.

Experimental archaeology has demonstrated that even large stones can be moved relatively easily using this method, particularly on smooth surfaces or lubricated tracks.

Another theory posits that the builders utilized A-frame structures to lift and maneuver the stones into position.

These wooden frames, resembling large tripods, could have been erected around the stones, allowing them to be tilted and shifted using ropes and pulleys.

This method would have enabled the builders to control the direction and angle of the stones as they were moved into place.

Some researchers have proposed that the bluestones, which were transported from Wales to Stonehenge, may have been floated on rafts along rivers and waterways before being hauled overland for the final leg of the journey.

This method would have taken advantage of natural water transport to reduce the effort required to move the stones over long distances.

Regardless of the specific techniques employed, it's clear that the construction of Stonehenge would have required a considerable amount of human labor and coordination.

Estimates suggest that hundreds, if not thousands, of workers would have been involved in quarrying, transporting, and erecting the stones, highlighting the communal effort and organisational skills of the ancient builders.

History of Stonehenge

Archaeologists believe that Stonehenge was constructed in several phases from around 3100 BC to 1600 BC, with the circle of large sarsen stones placed between 2600 BC and 2400 BC.

The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC.

Radiocarbon dating suggests that the bluestones were given their current positions between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC.

The earliest known major event was the construction of a circular ditch with an inner and outer bank, built about 3000 BC.

This enclosed an area about 100 metres in diameter, and had two entrances. It was an early form of henge monument.

Within the bank and ditch were possibly some timber structures and set just inside the bank were 56 pits, known as the Aubrey Holes.

There has been much debate about what stood in these holes: the consensus for many years has been that they held upright timber posts, but recently the idea has re-emerged that some of them may have held stones.

Within and around the Aubrey Holes, and also in the ditch, people buried cremations.

About 64 cremations have been found, and perhaps as many as 150 individuals were originally buried at Stonehenge, making it the largest late Neolithic cemetery in the British Isles.

In about 2500 BC, the stones were set up in the centre of the monument.

Two types of stone are used at Stonehenge – the larger sarsens and the smaller ‘bluestones’.

The sarsens were erected in two concentric arrangements – an inner horseshoe and an outer circle – and the bluestones were set up between them in a double arc.

Probably at the same time that the stones were being set up in the centre of the monument, the sarsens close to the entrance were raised, together with the four Station Stones on the periphery.

About 200 or 300 years later the central bluestones were rearranged to form a circle and inner oval (which was again later altered to form a horseshoe).

The earthwork Avenue was also built at this time, connecting Stonehenge with the river Avon.

One of the last prehistoric activities at Stonehenge was the digging around the stone settings of two rings of concentric pits, the so-called Y and Z holes, radiocarbon dated by antlers within them to between 1800 and 1500 BC.

They may have been intended for a rearrangement of the stones that was never completed.

Stonehenge today

Today, Stonehenge is one of the most popular tourist attractions in England - and tickets can be booked online via the English Heritage website.

The ancient landmark is located in the Wiltshire countryside, about 90 miles from London.

Someone who recently visited the site said: “An exciting walk around an historic site.

”Although the crowd was rather large, they are very efficient at moving people around the different area so there is nearby significant wait.

”There is a quick bus ride from the visitor centre to the Stonehenge site and the stroll around the site is self guided but with many explanatory signs to read.

”Actors outside the re-created village explain, through re-enactment, the story of Stonehenge.”

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