< home # store # services # articles # game # app #contact >

Located in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The site attracts numerous visitors who come to marvel at its ancient stones and ponder its mysteries. It continues to be a symbol of human history and cultural heritage

The purpose of Stonehenge remains a topic of debate and speculation. It is widely believed to have had religious, ceremonial, and astronomical significance. In part, due to its alignment with the movements, of the sun and moon
It is thought to have been a place of worship, a burial site; a site for observing celestial events, or maybe just a site where people gathered and worked together on something.

While the precise reasons for building Stonehenge are not definitively known. The monument’s design and engineering are impressive. Particularly considering the technology available during its construction
Stonehenge evolved in several construction phases spanning at least 1500 years. There is evidence of large-scale construction on, and around the monument. Perhaps extending into the landscape 6500 or even 8000 years. ..

The monument itself is composed of two main types of stones: the larger sarsen stones, which form the outer ring. And, trilithons. Which are two vertical stones with a horizontal lintel on top 
Smaller bluestones, are also arranged in an inner horseshoe shape. 

Many of them were transported over long distances and weigh several tons.(1)

The igneous bluestones appear to have originated nearby in the Preseli hills (1)
They are 150 miles, or 240 km away in modern-day Pembrokeshire (Wales).

Debate: function and construction
Because there was no written records the area remains subject to debate. And, being so. There are myths. The trilithons, the horseshoe arrangement; the heel stone; the embanked avenue; and, great great size. And, that combined they are aligned. To show the sunset of winter solstice; and, opposing sunrise of the summer solstice. (2)(3)(4)

Construction techniques used by the Stonehenge builders included pushing, pulling, rolling. Or, shear legs. A track, using a flat bottom; or, pine logs could be used for rolling objects
Some of the other, more extreme theories include: sleigh running logs. On a track lubricated with animal fat. (5) Or, even that glaciers could have left them. One thing is for sure. It has been studied a lot, and, for the time period. Quite a significant amount of effort.

It’s lithnophonic. The royal college of Art in London suggest the indigenous bluestones possess “unusual acoustic properties” (6)
These rocks were special. Similar to Carn Melyn ridge of Presili. And, the Presili village of Maenclochog (Welsh for bell or ringing stones). When struck the stones respond with “loud clanging noises”. It’s believed these types of rocks. Or, Lithnophonic rocks have been used for millennia. They were even commonly used as church bells until the 18th century. ”Ringing rocks” seems to support the hypothesis that Stonehenge was a place for healing. Which was also put forward by scientists, who consulted with researchers.

Who were the ancestors of the people who built Stonehenge?  DNA Traveling northwest?
It was probably early European farmers, who came from the eastern Mediterranean.
As well though. There were hunter-gatherers from western Europe. Builders, Iberians and people from the central Europe. In the early and middle neolithic time period.

Bell beaker people arrived later, around 2,500 BC, migrating from mainland Europe

It’s believed for centuries, cereal cultivation actually fell out of favor. Between 3300 and 1500 BC
The beaker and tin culture trade brought in different styles, including hazelnut gathering; and, pig/cattle farming. (7). Much of the population reverted to pastoralistisms; and, subsistence patterns. 

Folklore “Heel Stone”, “Friar’s Heel”, or “Sun-Stone”
The heel stone lies northeast of the sarsen circle. Beside the end portion of Stonehenge Avenue. It is a rough stone. 16 feet (4.9 m) above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle. The sun rises in the approximate direction of the Heel Stone.  And, it is often photographed. Folk tales reference it.

Did you know? In the twelfth-century, historians wrote of an Arthurian legend. How Stonehenge was brought from Ireland. Of course, using the help of wizard Merlin. (8)

Sixteenth century to present
Since King Henry VIII, Stonehenge has changed ownership several times. In 1540, Henry gave the estate to the Earl of Hertford. He passed it to Lord Carleton, the Marquess of Queensberry. Eventually by the 1820s. The Antrobus family of Cheshire bought it. In 1915, it went up for auction. Cecil Chubb bought it for £6,600 (£562,700 in 2023). Three years later. He gave it to the nation.

Site access
Between 1972 and 1984, Stonehenge was the site of the ‘Free Festival’. Visitors were in the tens of thousands. Something happened though. And, eventually they shut the site to visitors. They needed to preserve it. In 2000, courts were forced to reopen the site. Claiming it was religious and heritage right to attend Stonehenge. 

15 miles north. Almost all bluestone sarsens are direct chemical match to those near Marlborough. In Wiltshire
In 2020, David Nash, and the University of Brighton concluded it. Still some others claim, human activity at Waun Mawn (a nearby site), ceased around the same time. When Stonehenge was built. And, that some people may have migrated the stones from the one site to another. (9)

While we marvel at Stonehenge’s ancient stones and ponder its mysteries. It continues to be an important symbol of human history; and, cultural heritage. Despite debate and speculation. It has incredible religious, ceremonial, and astronomical significance. Due to its alignment with the movements of the sun and moon. A place of worship; a burial site; worksite, and, somewhere to observing celestial events.

Stonehenge will continue to attracts tourists from around the world, and it is an iconic symbol of ancient civilization. It will continue to be a subject of archaeological and architectural study too. Uncovering stories about construction; and, the strong people who built it.

Cite: 1) Parker Pearson, Michael; et al. (December 2015). “Craig Rhos-y-felin: a Welsh bluestone megalith quarry for Stonehenge” (https://doi.org/10.15184%2Faqy.2015.177). Antiquity. 89 (348): 1331–1352. doi:10.15184/aqy.2015.177 (https://doi.org/10.15184%2Faqy.2015.177).

2) “Stonehenge a monument to unity, new theory claims – CBS News” (https://web.archive.org/we b/20120624101715/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57459053/stonehenge-a-monument-to-unity-new-theory-claims/). CBS News. Archived from the original (http://www.cbsnews.co m/8301-205_162-57459053/stonehenge-a-monument-to-unity-new-theory-claims/) on 24 June 2012.

3) “Understanding Stonehenge: Two Explanations” (http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeolog y/stonehenge-two-explanations-121012.htm). DNews. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2 0150928151514/http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/stonehenge-two-explanations-1 21012.htm) from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.

4) Schombert. “Stonehenge revealed: Why Stones Were a “Special Place” ” (http://abyss.uoregon .edu/~js/glossary/stonehenge.html). University of Oregon. Archived (https://web.archive.org/we b/20150424023904/http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/glossary/stonehenge.html) from the original on 24 April 2015.

5) “Stonehenge” (http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Stonehenge.aspx#1). Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained. US: Gale. 2003. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2015110 7105321/http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Stonehenge.aspx#1) from the original on 7 November 2015.

6) RCA Research Team Uncovers Stonehenge’s Sonic Secrets” (https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and
-events/news/sonic-stones/). Royal College of Art. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20171 205042110/https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/sonic-stones/) from the original on 5 December 2017.

7) Stevens, Chris; Fuller, Dorian (2015). “Did Neolithic farming fail? The case for a Bronze Age agricultural revolution in the British Isles”. Antiquity. 86 (333): 707–722. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00047864 (https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0003598X00047864). S2CID 162740064 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:162740064).

8) Historia Regum Britanniae, Book 8, ch. 10. Geoffrey of Monmouth 12th century ad

9) Pearson, Mike Parker; Pollard, Josh; Richards, Colin; Welham, Kate; Kinnaird, Timothy; Shaw, Dave; et al. (12 February 2021). “The original Stonehenge? A dismantled stone circle in the Preseli Hills of west Wales” (https://doi.org/10.15184%2Faqy.2020.239). Antiquity. 95 (379): 85–103. doi:10.15184/aqy.2020.239 (https://doi.org/10.15184%2Faqy.2020.239). “Waun Mawn is the third largest of Britain’s great stone circles with diameters over 100 m.”

Bibliography: “The New Discoveries at Blick Mead: the Key to the Stonehenge Landscape” (http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/research/hri/blickmead). University of Buckingham. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20141227095402/ http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/research/hri/blickmead)

“Stonehenge builders travelled from far, say researchers” (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-2172 4084). BBC News. 9 March 2013. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20130310171730/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21724084) from the original on 10 March 2013.

Paul Rincon, Stonehenge: DNA reveals origin of builders. (https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47938188) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20190905205630/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47938188)

Brace, Selina; Diekmann, Yoan; Booth, Thomas J.; van Dorp, Lucy; Faltyskova, Zuzana; Rohland, Nadin; Mallick, Swapan; Olalde, Iñigo; Ferry, Matthew; Michel, Megan; Oppenheimer, Jonas; Broomandkhoshbacht, Nasreen; Stewardson, Kristin; Martiniano, Rui; Walsh, Susan; Kayser, Manfred; Charlton, Sophy; Hellenthal, Garrett; Armit, Ian; Schulting, Rick; Craig, Oliver E.; Sheridan, Alison; Parker Pearson, Mike; Stringer, Chris; Reich, David; Thomas, Mark G.; Barnes, Ian (2019). “Ancient genomes indicate population replacement in Early Neolithic Britain” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520225). Nature Ecology & Evolution. 3 (5): 765–771. doi:10.1038/s41559-019-0871-9 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41559-019-0871-9). ISSN 2397-334X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2397-334X). PMC 6520225 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520225). PMID 30988490 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30988490).

Williams, Thomas; Koriech, Hana (2012). “Interview with Mike Parker Pearson” (https://www.pia-journal.co.uk/jms/article/download/pia.401/484). Papers from the Institute of Archaeology. 22:39–47. doi:10.5334/pia.401 (https://doi.org/10.5334%2Fpia.401). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180720121106/https://www.pia-journal.co.uk/jms/article/download/pia.401/484)

Stevens, Chris; Fuller, Dorian (2015). “Did Neolithic farming fail? The case for a Bronze Age agricultural revolution in the British Isles”. Antiquity. 86 (333): 707–722. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00047864 (https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0003598X00047864).

Nash, David; Ciborowski, T. Jake; Ullyott, J. Stewart; Pearson, Mike Parker; Darvill, Timothy; Greaney, Susan; Maniatis, Georgios; Whitaker, Katy A. (29 July 2020). “Origins of the sarsen megaliths at Stonehenge” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7439454). Science Advances. 6 (31): eabc0133. Bibcode:2020SciA….6C.133N (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020SciA….6C.133N). doi:10.1126/sciadv.abc0133 (https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fsciadv.abc0133). PMC 7439454 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7439454). PMID 32832694
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32832694). S2CID 220937543 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:220937543).

Stevens, Edward (July 1866). “Stonehenge and Abury” (https://books.google.com/books?id=z_UIAAAAIAAJ&q=Stonehenge+%22Friar%27s+Heel%22&pg=PA69). The Gentleman’s
Magazine and Historical Review. Vol. 11. London: Bradbury, Evans & Co. p. 69. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210427082830/https://books.google.com/books?id=z_UIAAAAIAAJ&q=Stonehenge+%22Friar%27s+Heel%22&pg=PA69)

“Dramatic Stonehenge discovery boosts ‘Irish’ account of its origins” (https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/dramatic-stonehenge-discovery-boosts-irish-account-of-its-origins-1.4483067) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210216033057/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/dramatic-stonehenge-discovery-boosts-irish-account-of-its-origins-1.4483067)