Cromlech Stonehenge in Great Britain - the mysterious heritage of the ancients. Stonehenge is one of the most mystical monuments in the world. What architectural elements does Stonehenge consist of?

😉 Greetings to regular readers and guests of the site! Friends, many people ask the question: where is Stonehenge located, in which country? I wanted to answer this question and tell everything I know about this place.

Once upon a time in my youth I first saw Stonehenge in a picture. Mysterious stones interested me. “I wish I could see them for real,” I thought then. And when my travels began, seeing Stonehenge became my dream. And my dream came true! The main thing is to want it badly! Anything is possible, guys!

The dream of seeing Stonehenge has come true! The main thing is to want it badly! Everything is possible!

By the way, US President Obama said that visiting the famous monument was on the list of things he dreams of accomplishing in his life. On September 6, 2014, his dream came true.

What is Stonehenge

When I first found out where Stonehenge was located, I was surprised. In my understanding, these stones could be located anywhere, but not in Europe. But this stone monument is located precisely in Europe, in the county of Wiltshire, 130 km from!

Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious structures on the planet. In the language of the ancient Celts, "Stonehenge" means "dancing stones." The oldest monument is located in the Salisbury Valley, UK.

Even at the stage of the emergence of civilizations, people built grandiose structures, which later became famous throughout the world. Among them is Stonehenge, known as a stone mystery, in the very center of Europe.

Its age is comparable to the age of the Egyptian pyramids. But to this day, the interest of historians and astronomers in this amazing ancient monument has not waned. Various hypotheses and versions of its origin and purpose have been put forward.

History of Stonehenge

Today, Stonehenge researchers agree that its construction occurred between 3500 and 1600 BC. BC. The complex was built in several stages, with breaks between them of 2-3 centuries.

Stonehenge. View from above

According to legend, Stonehenge was built by Merlin, an all-powerful magician at the court of King Arthur. In one night he carried stone blocks from southwest Wales, famous for its sacred springs.

For a long time, the Celts were considered the builders of the stone circle. Then this version was refuted, considering that the Celts could not erect such a structure. Then they put forward the hypothesis that this was a building of the ancient Romans.

In the Middle Ages, it was believed that Stonehenge was created by the Swiss or Germans. With all the diversity of opinions regarding its origin, one thing is clear - only a highly developed civilization was capable of this.

Mysterious stones are a complex of huge standing vertical stone blocks that form several circles. The total weight of the structure is 82 stones weighing 5 tons each. 30 stones of 25 tons and 5 trilithons each of 50 tons.

"Heel stone"

The trilithons located in the center (a pair of vertical stones overlapped by a third) form arches that accurately point to each of the cardinal directions. At the entrance to the complex there is a huge, 6-meter “Heel Stone” - it is above it that the sunrise is visible on the day of the summer solstice.

"Heel stone" weighing approximately 35 tons

It was established that part of the material for the construction of the complex was delivered from quarries located at a distance of up to 300 kilometers from the construction site. The heaviest stones were transported from the nearest place, 30 km away.

The results of specially conducted experiments showed that a group of 24 people would need 24 hours to drag a stone weighing a ton over a distance of 1 kilometer. It took ancient builders several years to deliver such huge blocks. According to scientists, the ancient monument was built by thousands of people over 300 years.

Like many ancient structures, Stonehenge is resistant to seismic activity. According to research, during its construction special platforms were used, designed to dampen or smooth out tremors. Also, the structure is practically not susceptible to “soil shrinkage”.

Mysteries of Stonehenge

What prompted ancient people to put so much effort into processing and transporting huge blocks of stone and arranging them in a strictly established order? To date, many hypotheses have been put forward about the purpose of the intricate design.

The most common among them is astronomical. After a computer reconstruction of the ruins carried out in 1998, further evidence emerged that the complex was a giant ancient observatory.

Tourists are not allowed close to the stones. A fence in the form of a tension rope has been installed

It turned out that the structure is an exact model of the solar system, albeit consisting not of 9, but of 12 planets. This model is consistent with the ideas of other ancient civilizations (Sumerians, Egyptians) and confirms the latest astronomical hypotheses.

The builders of the stone monolith had incredible knowledge at that time. They knew exactly the orbital period of the Moon and the length of the solar year.

For ancient astronomers, huge trilithons served as astronomical instruments. On the day of the winter solstice, the rising Sun is clearly visible through one of the trilithons. And through the other two you can view the sunsets of celestial bodies.

According to one version, Stonehenge was erected to predict eclipses and to determine the dates for the start of agricultural work.

In addition to the astronomical one, there are other theories. Some scientists believe that the structure served as a temple for the ancient Celts-Druids who worshiped the Sun.

Other adherents of the temple version claim that the circle of stones was built by the Romans in honor of one of the gods of the Pantheon.

Some researchers, citing the burials found here as evidence, put forward the version of the royal tomb or the burial place of local leaders.

English historians also suggest that Stonehenge served as an ancient sanatorium. Belief in the supernatural power of blue cobblestones brought the sick and wounded here from surrounding villages.

Other hypotheses

Material confirmation of the version was the discovery of human remains under the complex with traces of many years of trauma. Modern residents of Wiltshire and Wales still pass on stories about the healing “blue dust” to their children and grandchildren.

There is also a hypothesis that geometry was studied in the circle of stones. The complex has the shape of a 56-sided polygon. This is the most complex geometric figure that can be built from a circle and a square using only a rope.

Ancient builders spent centuries constructing the structure and remodeling it several times to achieve the correct shape.

More incredible hypotheses are also popular - that Stonehenge was built by aliens.

Supporters of these versions point to the fact that people who lived in the Neolithic era could not have known the exact sizes of the Earth, Moon and other planets, which were reflected in the location of giant boulders.

There are also versions that the circle of stones is a gateway to another dimension or a message from other worlds.

The British nicknamed the mystical structure “Dance of the Giants” - the stones arranged in a circle resemble giants holding hands, twirling in a round dance.

Even today, although in great ruins, Stonehenge is impressive. It can be called the eighth wonder of the world.

The mystery of the ancient monument has not yet been solved. Only one thing is known for certain: its builders, whoever they were, had outstanding knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and architecture.

Where is Stonehenge (video)

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Stonehenge is a huge stone mystery in the heart of Europe. Where is Stonehenge? Anyone can answer this question, because almost all people know about it.

Existing information about the megalith (about its origin and purpose) still does not answer the question of how people four thousand years ago could design and build such a structure. An ancient observatory, a landing site for alien creatures, a portal to another world or a pagan tomb - all this is Stonehenge (England). For many centuries, the best minds of mankind have been struggling to solve it. And much remains unknown...

Stonehenge is also called a cromlech - it is an ancient structure made of vertical stones arranged in a circle. They can form one or more circles.

Where is Stonehenge

This building is in a field located 13 kilometers from the small village of Salisbury. “Stone fence” is how the name Stonehenge is translated. London is 130 kilometers southwest. The territory belongs to the administrative district of Wiltshire. It consists of a circle around which are located 56 small burial “holes of Aubrey” (named after a 17th century explorer). The most famous version is that lunar eclipses could be calculated from them. Later, cremated remains of people began to be buried in them. In Europe, wood has always been associated with life, and stone with death.

Stonehenge structure

In the center is the so-called altar (a six-ton ​​monolith made of green sandstone). In the northeast there is a seven-meter high Heel Stone. There is also the Block Stone, so named for the color of the iron oxides protruding on it. The next two rings consist of large, hard blocks of blue color (siliceous sandstone). The construction is completed by a ring colonnade with horizontal slabs lying on top.

In general, the building consists of:

82 megaliths weighing 5 tons;

30 blocks, each 25 tons;

5 trilithons, 50 tons each.

All of them form arches with precise indications of the cardinal directions. It was not for nothing that the ancient British called this place “The Round Dance of the Giants”.

The boulders that were used in the megalith have different origins. Stone structures (triliths or megaliths) and individual rough stones (menhirs) consist of calcareous gray sandstone and limestone. Volcanic lava, tuff and dolerite are found. Some of the blocks could have come from a site located 210 kilometers away. They could be delivered both by land (on rollers) and by water. In our time, an experiment was conducted that showed that a group of 24 people could move a stone weighing one ton at a speed of one kilometer per day. The weight of the largest blocks reaches 50 tons. Ancient builders could transport such a block for several years.

The stones were processed in several stages. The required blocks were prepared for transportation using mechanical methods and the method of exposure to fire and water. And finer grinding and processing was carried out on site.

Stonehenge - history and legends of antiquity

According to legend, the megalith appeared thanks to the legendary mentor of King Arthur. He moved some stone blocks from South Wales, where there had long been a cluster of sacred springs. In fact, the road to the site where Stonehenge is located was very difficult. The nearest quarries with rock are located at a great distance, and one can imagine how titanic the efforts were for the most complex transportation. The closest thing was to deliver them by sea, and from there they were dragged 80 kilometers by land.

The huge Heel Stone gave rise to another story - about a monk hiding from the devil in the boulders. To prevent him from escaping, the devil threw a stone at him and crushed his heel.

All these legends of ancient Stonehenge most likely have little to do with reality. Today, more detailed studies prove that construction was carried out in three stages from 2300 to 1900 BC. It functioned for about 2.5 thousand years and was abandoned around 1100 BC. And the characters of British history lived much later.

Who built Stonehenge

There are many nations laying claim to the construction of this megalith, from the ancient Romans to the Swiss or Germans. Until now, it was believed that it was built in the second millennium BC as an ancient observatory. The famous astronomer Hoyle found out that the ancient creators knew the exact orbital period of the Moon and the length of the solar year even then.

In 1998, astronomers came to the aid. With its help, they came to the conclusion that this is not only a lunar and solar calendar, but also a cross-section. Moreover, there should be not 9 planets, as is currently known, but 12. Perhaps in the future we will have more discoveries related to the composition of the Solar system.

The English historian Brooks, who explored Stonehenge for many years, proved that it is part of a giant navigation system.

In addition to its astronomical function, Stonehenge was also used as a ritual structure. This is evidenced by the large number of burial grounds and other ritual places in the surrounding area. And some researchers put forward a theory about the tomb of the pagan queen Boudicca. This fearless woman did not want to surrender to the Romans and chose to take poison. Although there have never been human burials at Stonehenge. For all this time, only one remains of an archer were found in a ditch, dating back to the 7th century BC.

This land has always been considered sacred, because at all times tourists and aborigines tried to break off and take a part with them as an amulet. A hundred years ago, local residents even had a type of business - renting out hammers to knock out a piece as a souvenir or carve their name on a boulder. Now a tourist cannot even touch the megalith with his hand; asphalt paths are specially laid at some distance from the stone blocks.

Druid Sanctuary

There is a hypothesis that this is the place of power of the Druids (at the intersection of energy lines), allowing them to conduct serious rituals to unite with the forces of nature. The orientation of the monument to the solstice is another argument in this favor. Since this isolated tribe did not leave behind any written evidence, the purpose of Stonehenge remained a great mystery.

New Druids consider it a place of pilgrimage, and representatives of other pagan movements love to visit this area. In winter days, huge crowds of Druid fans meet their main deity. The rays of the sun, having reached its zenith, fall exactly between the vertical stones of the largest trilithon, and together with the sun's rays, illumination comes to people. And it often happens that the weather is cloudy around, but the sun is shining inside.

The Greatness of Stonehenge

Another feature of Stonehenge is its high seismic resistance. During construction, special slabs were used to dampen and soften shocks. At the same time, there is almost no soil subsidence, which is inevitable in modern construction.

One thing is certain: whoever the mysterious builders were, they had colossal knowledge in mathematics, geology, astronomy and architecture. And if we take into account that similar structures were being built all over the world at that time (the pyramids of Egypt, we can safely say that modern people simply do not know a lot about their past. According to calculations, if Stonehenge is rebuilt today with the tools of that time, 2 million people will be needed - hours. And it would take 20 million to process the stones manually. That is, the reason why people worked on it for so long must really be very significant.

How to get there? Stonehenge on the map

By private car, tourists get along the A303 and M3 roads, which lead to Amesbury. Waterloo Station has comfortable trains to Salisbury and Andover, and from there you can travel by bus.

In London, you can purchase a one-day group tour that already includes admission. The same bus runs from Salisbury, picking up tourists from the railway station. The ticket can be used throughout the day, and buses depart every hour.

How to get to the center of Stonehenge without any restrictions?

According to the rules, it is prohibited to come close and walk inside Stonehenge (tourists are not allowed to approach closer than 15 meters), but some tour operators make concessions and allow walking, but only early in the morning or late in the evening. Such groups usually have a limited number of participants, so it is advisable to book places in advance. In this case, the weather should be good. The historical monument is carefully guarded to prevent damage to the ground, so you will not be able to get inside Stonehenge if it rains.

It is not for nothing that this building is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Some people consider it a poorly preserved heap of stones, while others dream of simply touching it and strive for this all their lives. Nevertheless, the mystical secret of Stonehenge has always existed, and to this is added admiration for the power of human intelligence and perseverance, which made it possible to build this miracle.

A description of Stonehenge will help you prepare for class and write a report or essay.

Stonehenge brief description

Stonehenge is symbol of England, he immortalized himself in thousands of photographs, in dozens of films. This is a rather mystical place, which is located in Wiltshire, England. Why it was built is a mystery.

Stonehenge is made of massive stone blocks up to four meters high and is surrounded by an earthen moat. Along the edges of the moat there is an internal and external shaft, which is the boundary of the entire complex.

Between the outer and inner ramparts there is a ditch in which a small crossing is left. Further along the inner side of the shaft there are 56 small round holes, which are called Aubrey's holes. The diameter of the “Aubrey ring” is 88 meters. Embalmed human bodies were found in more than half of the holes. Then there are two rings with a diameter of 53m and 40m. Next is the stone building itself. A circle with a diameter of 33 meters is built from 30 stones. Inside it are trilithons, and in the very center is the Altar Stone. The so-called “alley” or “avenue” stretches from the northeast.

Stonehenge was built several millennia BC. It is estimated that the construction took 300 years of continuous work by thousands of people. And today Stonehenge is a popular tourist destination.

How was Stonehenge built?

Stones weighing from 25 to 45 tons used in the construction of Stonehenge were transported 380 km from east Wales. The megalithic complex was built between 3500 and 1100 AD. BC. in three stages. Initially, Stonehenge I was a ring-shaped rampart surrounded by a moat. 56 depressions were dug along the inside of the shaft, later called "Aubrey's Holes" in honor of their first explorer.

Outside the entrance to the earthen structure stood a 35-ton “Heel Stone.” During the construction of Stonehenge II, two rings of massive blue-gray blocks were erected. A 6-ton stone, the so-called “Altar,” was erected in the center of the circle, and an earthen path was laid between the “Heel Stone” and the entrance. At the final stage of construction, the blue blocks were replaced with 30 Sarsen sandstone monoliths, and a horseshoe of five free-standing triliths was installed within the Sarsen Ring.

Huge stones, mounds, ditches, pits and ramparts - for many centuries Stonehenge has been of interest to historians, astronomers, and astrologers, who put forward various theories about the reasons for its origin and purpose.

Many people wonder how old this structure is and what is the history of Stonehenge. In terms of age, it is not much younger than the Egyptian pyramids - according to the latest data, it was built almost four thousand years ago. The ancient inhabitants called it “The Dance (or Round Dance) of the Giants,” and just by looking at it, it immediately becomes clear why.

It has long been known where Stonehenge is located and what it looks like. The building is located in Wiltshire in the UK. According to the latest data, its construction began around 1900 BC. e. (at the end of the Stone Age), and ended after three centuries (at the same time it was rebuilt three times).

First, the builders dug a ditch in the shape of a circle, then installed blocks and pillars of wood, dug and placed 56 holes in a circle. The central element of the building was the Heel Stone, seven meters high, right above which the Sun still rises on the day of the summer solstice. This is exactly what the ancient building looked like.

UK structures are extremely resistant to seismic activity. Studies have shown that builders achieved this thanks to special platforms designed to soften or even dampen tremors. Another feature is that they do not cause so-called “soil shrinkage”.

The structure itself has the following description:

1. 82 stone blocks (megaliths). According to recent research, the blue or greenish-gray volcanic stones of Stonehenge weighing 5 tons were most likely brought here from Carn Goedog, which is very far from Stonehenge - a distance of 250 km. Scientists still put forward different theories about how the ancient British dragged a large number of five-ton blocks over such a distance.
2. 30 stone blocks. The ancient builders placed blocks of stone weighing 25 tons each, four meters high, about two wide, in the shape of a circle, the diameter of which was 33 m. They were connected to each other using a “mortise and tenon” method, with transverse stones placed on top. Each such stone is a little more than three meters in length. The distance between the top of these jumpers and the ground turned out to be about five meters. In our time, an arch consisting of thirteen blocks with crossbars has been preserved.
3. 5 trilithons. The weight of each trilith is 50 tons. They were located inside this circle and formed a horseshoe. They were installed symmetrically - the height of one pair was six meters, the next one was higher, and the height of the central trilith reached 7.3 m. By the nineteenth century, only two south-eastern trilithons remained, as well as one curved support of the main stone. At the beginning of the twentieth, experts restored one northwestern trilith and straightened the support of the central one, thereby bringing its appearance closer to the original one.

Construction versions

Many people wonder who built Stonehenge, how Stonehenge was built and how old it is. Stonehenge was built over several centuries and a huge number of people worked on the construction (it should be taken into account that very few people lived in Great Britain at that time). Therefore, many scientists believe that all the peoples living in this area at that time were involved in the construction.

To build such a structure, the ancient British used dolerite, volcanic lava, volcanic tuff, sandstone and limestone.

Half of the monoliths were delivered from a site located more than two hundred kilometers from the building. According to some assumptions, they were delivered first by land, then by water; according to others, they themselves sailed here naturally.

Experiments were even carried out that showed that in a day twenty-four people are able to move a one-ton block just one kilometer. This means that it most likely took ancient people several years to deliver one heavy monolith.

The stones were processed in several stages to obtain the desired look and shape. First, even before moving, they were prepared for transportation by blows, fire and water, and after delivery they were already processed and polished, after which they acquired the desired appearance.

In order to install a block, they dug a hole, lined it with stakes, along which they rolled the monolith. After this, ropes were installed in a vertical position and fixed.

The crossbars were much more difficult to install. According to some assumptions, in order to place them on parallel stones, earthen elevations were made, along which the monoliths were pulled. According to others, they were raised using logs. First, they were placed at the same height, a block was dragged onto them, then a higher pile of logs was built nearby, the stone was lifted onto it, etc.

Purpose

Considering how many years and centuries were spent on the construction of Stonehenge, the number of people involved (according to some sources - at least a thousand) and efforts, the question arises why Stonehenge was built in Great Britain.

At first its construction was attributed to the Druids. In the Middle Ages, most people believed that Merlin erected it in one night after the British king's victory over the Saxons. During the Renaissance, historians decided that the Druids could not erect such a building, so it was most likely built by the Romans.

Now some scientists are convinced that this building is the burial place of Queen Boadicea. Moreover, the remains of ancient people were discovered here, according to scientists, who belonged to 240 representatives of the local elite. Moreover, most of the human bones date back to 2570-2340. BC, and the oldest are another thousand years older.

Most researchers are inclined to think that buildings of this type were not only ritual, but also astronomical structures, since here they could intensively study other planets, stars, sunrises and sunsets.

Astronomical theory

Nowadays, few people doubt the fact that Stonehenge was a huge observatory from which the sky was observed. Here they determined on what day the summer and winter solstices would occur (at this time the Sun rises directly above the Heel Stone), and began to keep an annual countdown.

Also, during the research, scientists noticed that on the day of the winter solstice, the Sun is perfectly visible through one trilith, and the sunsets of celestial bodies are visible through the other two. And two more were used to observe the Moon.

Some scientists have put forward the idea that the holes located inside the circle accurately imitate the trajectory of the celestial pole, which existed from 12 to 30 thousand years ago, as a result of which a version has emerged that Stonehenge may well be much older than it is now assume.

For example, University of Wales professor David Bowen conducted research that enabled him to claim that this structure is 140 thousand years old. The theory, of course, is unlikely, but it exists.

It is interesting that when scientists, using a special computer program, reconstructed the primary appearance of Stonehenge, he came to conclusions that surprised everyone: the ancient observatory was also an absolutely accurate model of the solar system, consisting of twelve planets. At the same time, two, unknown to us now, are hiding behind Pluto, another is located between Mars and Jupiter. The model surprisingly confirms the latest hypotheses of modern astronomy.

Eclipse predictor

Eclipses of heavenly bodies always caused an ambiguous reaction among our ancestors - they were simply afraid of them. Therefore, according to one hypothesis, Stonehenge in Great Britain was built precisely in order to warn in time about possible danger.

For example, Gerald Hopkins claims that during the construction of Stonehenge, eclipses occurred when the rising Moon was above the central block in winter. Autumn eclipses of the night light occurred when its rising completely coincided with one of the stones on the outer side of the circle.

It was in this place that the Moon appeared once every eighteen years. This means that three such cycles add up to fifty-six years - the number of holes installed in Stonehenge. Many years ago, when the ancients moved stones from one hole to another after a certain time, they determined when such an event that frightened them would occur, accurate to the time of year.

Stonehenge is a wonderful place that attracts and attracts others who are interested in its description and history. Stonehenge: interesting facts is the most requested question from tourists, which guides happily answer, revealing the secrets of the amazing construction of the ancient inhabitants.

About 130 kilometers from London there is a very strange place - a pile of huge stones neatly placed in a circle in the middle of an open field. Their age cannot be accurately estimated even by modern science - either three thousand years, or all five. Why did our ancestors, who had literally just climbed out of the trees, suddenly begin to cut huge boulders out of rocks and drag them hundreds of kilometers away? An ancient observatory, a Druid cult building, a landing site for aliens and even a portal to another dimension - all this is Stonehenge.

Great Britain, Wiltshire, 13 kilometers from the town of Salisbury. Here, in the middle of an ordinary English plain, is Stonehenge - one of the most famous buildings in the world. It contains 82 five-ton megaliths, 30 stone blocks of 25 tons each, and 5 giant trilithons, whose weight reaches 50 tons.

What is Stonehenge?

The word “Stonehenge” itself is very ancient. There are several versions regarding its origin. It could be formed from the Old English "stan" (stone, that is, stone) and "hencg" (rod - since the upper stones were fixed on rods) or "hencen" (gallows, torture instrument). The latter can be explained by the fact that medieval gallows were built in the shape of the letter “P” and resembled the trilithons of Stonehenge.

Megalith (from the Greek “megas” - large, and “litos” - stone) is a large hewn piece of rock used in the construction of ancient religious buildings. As a rule, such structures were erected without the use of mortar - the stone blocks were held under their own weight or on hewn stone “castles”.
Trilith (or “trilithon”, from the Greek “tri” - three and “litos” - stone) is a building structure of two vertical blocks supporting a third, horizontal one.

How Stonehenge was built

The construction of Stonehenge took place in several stages, taking a total of over 2000 years. However, archaeologists have discovered evidence of much older buildings at this site. For example, three shallow “shafts” were recently found next to a tourist parking lot near Stonehenge, into which wooden supports were dug (they, of course, were not preserved). The position of the pillars shows that they supported a very large wooden monument, which is estimated to be approximately 8,000 years old.
Around 2600 BC, the wooden buildings were demolished and replaced by magnificent stone structures. First, the builders dug two rows of large crescent-shaped holes (one horseshoe inside the other), facing northeast. 385 kilometers away, from the rocks of Carn Menin in the Preseli Hills (Wales), 80 so-called “blue stones” were delivered. Each stone was about 2 meters high, approximately 1.5 meters wide and 0.8 meters thick. They weighed 4-5 tons.
In the very heart of Stonehenge, a six-ton ​​monolith made of green mica sandstone was erected - the so-called “Altar”. In addition, the northeast entrance was moved slightly to the side and widened so that it looked directly at the sunrise on the summer solstice.
Apparently, the construction of Stonehenge remained unfinished during this phase. The “blue stones” were soon removed, and the holes under them were filled up.
At the same time, three free-standing large “blue stones” appeared here. Two survived - the so-called “Heel” (meaning “last”) stone at the north-eastern entrance outside the ramparts and the “Scaffold Stone” near the same entrance inside the ramparts (it later collapsed to the side). Despite the name, the “Stone-block” is not associated with bloody sacrifices. Due to weathering, red spots began to appear on its side - iron oxides, which gave rise to such gloomy associations. In addition, on the inside of the northern and southern ramparts, small mounds (without burials) topped with “blue stones” were poured for unknown purposes.
At the end of the 3rd millennium BC, Stonehenge underwent a new, most large-scale reconstruction, thanks to which it has become so popular today. From the hills of southern England (40 kilometers away from Stonehenge), 30 huge stone blocks - “sarsen”, each weighing 25 tons - were brought here.

Stonehenge. How it was.

The earliest of the surviving religious buildings on the territory of Stonehenge looks very primitive and does not in any way resemble later stone buildings. Stonehenge No. 1 was built no earlier than 3100 BC and consisted of two round earthen ramparts, between which there was a moat. The diameter of the entire object is about 115 meters. A large entrance was built on the northeastern side, and a small one on the southern side.
Presumably, the ditch between the ramparts was dug using tools made from deer antlers. The work was carried out not in one step, but in sections. Research has shown that the bottom of the ditch was covered with animal bones (deer, bulls). Judging by their condition, these bones were carefully looked after - they probably had considerable cult significance for the people who visited the temple.
Directly behind the inner shaft, 56 depressions were dug inside the complex, arranged in a circle. They were called "Aubrey's holes" - after the antiquarian who discovered them in 1666. The purpose of the holes is unclear. According to the chemical analysis of the soil, no wooden supports were placed in them. The most common version is that lunar eclipses were calculated using holes, however, the accuracy leaves much to be desired.

Stonehenge - prehistoric crematorium

Later buildings date back to 2900-2500 BC and can be judged theoretically - time has left us only a group of depressions in the ground where wooden supports for certain structures were placed. The latter could well have been covered sheds, because these holes (now filled with earth and hardly distinguishable from the rest of the landscape) run in two parallel rows from the northern and southern entrances to the center of the entire structure. The diameter of the depressions is significantly smaller than the Aubrey holes, only 0.4 meters, and they are more distant from each other.
During the second phase of the construction of Stonehenge, the earthen ramparts were partially demolished - their height decreased, and the ditch between them was almost half filled. During the same period, the function of the Aubrey holes changed - they began to be used for the burial of cremated remains. Similar burials began to take place in the ditch - and only in its eastern part.
Whatever Stonehenge was built for, a few hundred years later it was used as an enclosed cemetery for cremated remains - the first known in Europe.

Interesting facts about Stonehenge

The most common finds by archaeologists in the ground under Stonehenge are Roman coins and Saxon remains. They date back to the 7th century BC.
There are also more exotic theories about Aubrey's holes. For example, the ancients may have used them to plan pregnancy (based on the 28-day menstrual cycle in women).
Blue stones are dolerite, the closest relative of coarse basalt. Dolerite got its “colored” nickname because it turns blue when wet with water. A fresh chip of the stone also has a blue tint. Heel stone - so named because of the legend according to which Satan threw it at a monk and hit him in the heel. The origin of the word “sarsen” is unclear. Perhaps it came from the later term “Saracen” (Saracenic, that is, pagan stones). Sarsens were used to build not only Stonehenge, but also other megalithic monuments in England. The inside of the sarsens was processed much better than the outside. This suggests that perhaps the room was closed, and some important rituals were performed inside it, the participants of which did not leave the stone “circle.” Calculations show that the construction of Stonehenge (with the tools available at that time) required about 2 million people. hours of work, and processing the stones would take 10 times longer. The reason why people worked on this monument for almost 20 centuries was probably very good. The theory of a UFO landing site arose partly due to the fact that there is a military airfield near Stonehenge (near the city of Warminster).

What was Stonehenge for?

As soon as people didn’t rack their brains, why did the ancients need Stonehenge? The very first mentions that have reached us connect it with the legend of King Arthur - supposedly this monument was built by the wizard Merlin himself (according to another version, he moved it with his spell from Mount Killaraus in Ireland).
Other stories blamed the construction of Stonehenge on the devil himself. In 1615, architect Inigo Jones claimed that the stone monoliths were built by the Romans - allegedly it was a temple to a pagan deity named Cnelus. In the 18th century, researchers discovered the “astronomical” function of Stonehenge (its orientation to the solstice) - this is how a version emerged according to which this building belonged to the Druids. Nowadays, some experts claim that using Stonehenge it is possible to predict solar eclipses or even carry out complex mathematical calculations. The “planetarium” and “calculator” theories are very controversial - the evidence is usually refuted either by the simplest astronomical facts or by history itself (Stonehenge was rebuilt several times, changed its structure and probably served different purposes).
Outer ring of sarsens
The assumption that the second, “cemetery” stage of the construction of Stonehenge appears to be very interesting was associated with the successful conquests of local tribes. Analysis of remains found in burial grounds adjacent to Stonehenge showed that some of the people buried there were originally from Wales. This may also explain the subsequent delivery of "blue stones", symbolizing the unification of the two lands. Experts also admit that for most of its history, Stonehenge served as a place for cremation of remains. This version is not without its right to exist, because the Neolithic cultures of Europe associated wood with life, and stone with death.

Late 19th century

One way or another, Stonehenge should not be called an observatory or associated with the Druids. In the first case, we are simply applying 21st century concepts to events that took place almost 5,000 years ago. In the second, we sacrifice facts to a beautiful legend. Druids are a purely Celtic phenomenon. The Celts came to Britain no earlier than 500 BC - Stonehenge was already built.

Science fiction writers about Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a structure so ancient and incomprehensible that even science fiction writers are not too sure what to do with it. The ideas they propose in their works are often not much different from the versions of some scientists.
For example, Harry Harrison wrote the novel Stonehenge (1972) with Leon Stover. According to this book, the ancient monoliths were erected by the surviving inhabitants of Atlantis. A little earlier, Keith Laumer created the book “Trace of Memory” (1968), where he developed an “alien” idea: next to Stonehenge there is an underground communications center, from where you can call the descent module of a huge alien ship drifting near the Earth - and this module landed directly on Stonehenge .

New Stonehenge

: modern astronomers have revived the knowledge of their ancestors
On February 12, 2005, the “New Stonehenge” opened in the New Zealand town of Wairarapa, very similar to its famous British “relative”. But why did modern astronomers need to build a copy of the ancient structure?
The modern stone observatory is called Stonehenge Aotearoa, and it was built by the New Zealand Phoenix Astronomical Society.
Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand. And it was taken for a reason.
But first it must be said that the new Stonehenge is not at all an exact copy of the stone monster from Salisbury Plain (Stonehenge), although their basic dimensions are practically the same.
And this is not a simple tourist attraction. Stonehenge Aotearoa is a full-scale adaptation of its ancestor to work properly on the other side of the planet. What kind of work is this? Of course - an indication of astronomical events.