The Stonehenge at Salisbury Plains has been shrouded in mystery even before the time of Christ, but the truth of the matter is that nobody truly knows how this monument came to be. The origins of this monument range from logical theories to totally far fetched science fiction and middle age theories. This site has been around for over 4 millennia, but before the stones were even erected or on British land, it was used as a burial site. Then comes the weird theories, like Merlin from the King Arthur tales using his powers to move all of the stones into their formation or extraterrestrials coming down from outer space and giving knowledge to the ancient people in the area. Aside from these theories that lack any form of logical reasoning, the most widely accepted theory is that the monument was created as a religious shrine for the Druids of the area.
There are many wonders of the world. There is the Great Wall of China, the Coliseum, the Hagia Sophia, the Taj Mahal, and many other places across the globe that has struck wonder into the world. Yet there is a place that not even the smartest of scholars cannot seem to understand. On a grassy piece of land in England there are heavy stones that stand tall, placed side-by-side and some even lay upon one another. It is known as the Stonehenge. Many people have heard of it, and many people have theories of why these stones are standing there today. Yet no one seems to know the exact purpose of this monument. There are many other scholars who have theories about the Stonehenge being used for religious purposes as well. My theory is that the purpose of the Stonehenge for religious and ritualistic.
Kunitz, Stanley J, and Howard Haycraft, eds. American Authors 1600- 1900. New York: Wilson, 1966. Print.
There are some, however, who have speculated as to what the giant stone structure could have been constructed for. Theories such as observatory, burial grounds, temple, and others are much debated among those who care to look into these matters. Among those who do not care to question its existence, Stonehenge is just a large pile of huge stones that happen to make a circle. No matter which side a person might take, there is no definite way to prove what Stonehenge was used for. There is no way to know because there are no written records of the construction of Stonehenge, there are not even depictive carvings on the stones themselves that suggest a purpose to the massive
The name Stonehenge is believed to have been derived from words that mean either “circle of stones,” “hanging stones,” or “stone hinges.” (Wendy Mass 8) it was originally called stanhenge; stan, which means stone in OLD English, and henge, which means “to hang.” There are several theories as to t...
Unlike the La Jolla Project, Stonehenge was probably not an abstract sculptural installation made of polished granite blocks. Stonehenge was built starting in 3100 B.C.E.(Encyclopedia Brittanica 287). The builders used mostly sarsen, a gray sandstone. Bluestones, or blocks of bluish dolerite, were also used. The number of stones used is unknown because the present structure of Stonehenge is the product of at least four major building phases. The stones have endured many centuries of rough weather and erosion.
...e main purpose and design of Stonehenge is thought to be create a horseshoe and circle. Their builders were most probably Beaker people who lived 3,500 years ago. They came and invaded Salisbury Plain. It is possible that Beaker people build Stonehenge because they wanted to create a home for their an-cestors and dead ones. According to archeologists Stonehenge is only part of a monument which is more enormous design. Other part of religious monument could had been a wooden structure.
Stonehenge is a monument that is located in Wiltshire, England. It is one of the most famous monuments in the world, and is meritorious when it comes to the world’s best monuments. Standing tall in Southern England, the Stonehenge is an arrangement of massive stones that form a circular geometry. No one knows who built it, but medieval tales say that it is the work of Merlin the Wizard, during the age of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. As time passed, it is said that the Romans were responsible for the building of Stonehenge. In more recent times, archaeologists have discovered who really might have built Stonehenge. Archaeologists and scientists now believe that Stonehenge was put together more than 4000 years ago, a long time before Medieval England or the Romans. Modern researchers have come to a new hypothesis: Stonehenge was built by people who lived around the time of the ending of the Stone Age. Although scientists and archeologists have come to some conclusions, no one really knows how this monument was erected. Over time the monument has endured some history, and has given humanity time to discover many things about this mysterious monument known as Stonehenge.
Stonehenge, one of England most puzzling structures has historian, researchers and archeologists very unsure of it actually purpose. Whatever Stonehenge is it is a remarkable structure full of mystery and magic. Between 1919 and 1950 was a major breakthrough when archeologist began finding the remains of Stonehenge, Today he remains of Stonehenge can be visited in the fields of Witt shire England, where it has stood for nearly 5000 years. Stonehenge has three major areas starting with the inner circle, a smaller stone semicircle, and a larger more define horseshoe surrounding the two smaller areas. The inner part of Stonehenge dates back more than 5000 years ago. The radius of the inner circle spans 320 feet, the depth of the ditch is 7 feet deep by 20 ft wide. The people who built this circle took the chalk like rock that was produced from digging and built up a bank within the bank there were 56 holes dug named after the scholar John Alburey. At the entrance of the circle there were two stone that were put in place these made sort of an entrance way to the circle as well as two more stone opposite of each other. One of the main stones still standing is called the slaughter stone which is one of the entrance stones. After the building of the inner circle there was evidence that the Neolithic people used it for another 500 years after.
Stonehenge is a ruin of a stone building. Stonehenge is the oldest pre-historic structure in western Europe. The name "Stonehenge" is Saxon in origin and means hanging stones. Stonehenge is visible from around one to two miles (Chippindale 12). It has a plain structure and at first glance Stonehenge appears to be a large pile of rocks. But when looked at more closely, it is a structure of great mystery. (Abels 5).
...onehenge and Avebury you have art, depictions of life during the end of the Neolithic and beginning of the Bronze Age. Through laser scanning it was discovered that thousands of pictures carved, painted and drawn exists on the stones, they have just been worn away with time. So you had more solid representation of life being presented in architecture and art, pottery instead of baskets, stone buildings and sculptures, permanent housing and burial sites much larger and expansive then any we had seen yet. You see the possibilities of healing centers and organized religion. You see the tracking of the sun in a lot of stone monuments, referring to life span or harvest, but showing a connection of life and the certainty of death. The art represented here is so very fitting, stone and earth, representing a strong and determined culture that thrived in harsh conditions.
The content of this project is based on the largest and most complete megalithic structure in Europe, The Stonehenge. It resides in center of the southern England; on the wide spread Salisbury Plains. It is said to be old approximately four thousand years, and it is even considered older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Standing there over such a long time, it has been the subject of research and mystery in general, for a really long time. Dozens of notable scientists, emperors and others expressed their admiration and interest through different means of explorations and excavations. There have been various theories on how it was built, and what the purpose of it was, and some of them are really intriguing and interesting such. Some thought it was built as a solar-lunar calendar, some said that it had medical purposes for the giants that had built it, it was considered a ceremonial place, temple of veneration, a portal and lastly but not less important, there were some associations of Stonehenge to the aliens. The two specific theories on the Stonehenge’s importance will be discussed and summarized in this essay. First theory comes from an astronomical stand point interpreted by Mr. Chris Witcombe, and the second theory might sound unusual when said the Stonehenge represents the human vulva, and this theory is interpreted by Anthony Perks(PhD) and Darlene Bailey(BA).
Faulker, William. American Studies at The University of Virginia . 1 April 1997. Online. 15 March 2014.
However, that meaning is not always known. It is believed that Stonehenge was most likely made to bring people of a community together as well as to mark a place where individuals could gather to perform rituals, although many theories about why it was built and the purpose it serves exist. For example, recent studies show that the monument may mark the graveyard of a ruling dynasty. There is evidence of over 200 cremated human remains that have been buried at the site within a period of 500 years. Some evidence suggests the site may have been a piece in a larger series of structures used for funerary rituals. The only thing that is knows for sure “is that Stonehenge held meaning for the Neolithic community that built it”
Behind every great structure in the world, there are the people who made them, and who took the time and effort to design them. Those who made Stonehenge succeeded in creating an incredibly complex and mysterious structure that lived on long after its creators were dead. The many aspects of Stonehenge and the processes by which it was built reveal much about the intelligence and sophistication of the civilizations that designed and built the monument, despite the fact that it is difficult to find out who exactly these people were. They have left very little evidence behind with which we could get a better idea of their everyday lives, their culture, their surroundings, and their affairs with other peoples. The technology and wisdom that are inevitably required in constructing such a monument show that these prehistoric peoples had had more expertise than expected.