Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Posted On November 26, 2009

A prehistoric monument, Stonehenge is located at Wiltshire. Wiltshire is situated at a distance of about 3.2 km to the west of Amesbury and also to a distance of 13 km to the north of Salisbury. Stonehenge is one of the most popular cities in the world. Stonehenge has a composition of earthworks which is being surrounded in a circular shape by huge standing stones. The centre has a huge monument which belongs to the Neolithic and the Bronze Age. Also there are many mounds which are buried. Many archeologists have stated that the monuments which are made up of stone do belong to 2500 BC. Many also believe that they might be erected much before a 3000 BC and some do believe that till 2400-2200 BC there were no such stones erected. The circular construction dates back to 3100 BC.

The UNESCO added this monument as well as its neighboring buildings in the World Heritage site’s list in the year 1986. It is co-listed in the list with the Avebury Ancient monument. The monument is owned by the King and it is looked after by the English heritage. The land that surrounds the building is possessed by the National trust.

Many few archeological proofs have been found in the Stonehenge Riverside Project, it defines that in the earlier days the Stonehenge did work as the burial grounds. The burials that are found in the site last around 3000 BC. It was the time when the actual bank and the ditch were dug for the very first time. For the next 500 years the burials did continued at the Stonehenge.

The “henge” part of the Stonehenge monument has given it the so called name and fame. The archeologists explain henges as the earthworks that consists of a bank in a shape of the circle. A ditch is enclosed in the interior of this bank. As the archeological terms states it was a leftover from the antiquarian practice. As the bank of the monument is in the interior of its ditch, Stonehenge cannot be defined as a henge site. Even if it is a modern site with factual Neolithic henges and stone circles, it can be seen that Stonehenge is out of character in many different ways.

A written record that describes the existence of the Stonehenge is not yet found. The monument is been a topic for debate for various reasons. These variations in the theories are said to be the “mystery of Stonehenge” as the theories has very colorful shades.

Very few proofs that could describe the techniques that were used in the construction of the Stonehenge by its builders are found. Many authors expressed that the monument was built by the antiquated or the supernatural methods. It is also clear that to move such stone and lift them is not a simple task. There are many theories that explain that the construction of the monument is made by advanced, symbolic or supernatural methods. Two of the most important theories were proposed recently, it stated that the Stonehenge was a ritual landscape and the ancestors used the site to worship.