STONEHENGES MULTIPHASE CONSTRUCTION

Archaeologists believe Englan !ost iconic "rehistoric r#in $as b#ilt in

several stages% $ith the earliest constr#cte &%''' or !ore (ears ago) *irst%
Neolithic +ritons #se "ri!itive tools,"ossibl( !ae -ro! eer antlers,to
ig a !assive circ#lar itch an ban.% or henge% on Salisb#r( Plain) /ee" "its
ating bac. to that era an locate $ithin the circle,.no$n as A#bre( holes
a-ter 0ohn A#bre(% the 12th3cent#r( anti4#arian $ho iscovere the!,!a(
have once hel a ring o- ti!ber "osts% accoring to so!e scholars)
THE MEGALITHS O* STONEHENGE
Stonehenges sarsens% o- $hich the largest $eighs !ore than 5' tons an
rises 65 -eet% $ere li.el( so#rce -ro! 4#arries 6& !iles north o- Salisb#r(
Plain an trans"orte $ith the hel" o- sleges an ro"es7 the( !a( even
have alrea( been scattere in the i!!eiate vicinit( $hen the !on#!ents
Neolithic architects 8rst bro.e gro#n there) The s!aller bl#estones% on the
other han% have been trace all the $a( to the Preseli Hills in 9ales% so!e
6'' !iles a$a( -ro! Stonehenge) Ho$% then% i "rehistoric b#ilers $itho#t
so"histicate tools or engineering ha#l these bo#lers% $hich $eigh #" to 5
tons% over s#ch a great istance:
Accoring to one longstaning theor(% Stonehenges b#ilers -ashione
sleges an rollers o#t o- tree tr#n.s to l#g the bl#estones -ro! the Preseli
Hills) The( then trans-erre the bo#lers onto ra-ts an ;oate the! 8rst
along the 9elsh coast an then #" the River Avon to$ar Salisb#r( Plain7
alternativel(% the( !a( have to$e each stone $ith a ;eet o- vessels) More
recent h("otheses have the! trans"orting the bl#estones $ith s#"ersi<e
$ic.er bas.ets or a co!bination o- ball bearings% long groove "lan.s an
tea!s o- o=en)
As earl( as the 1>2's% geologists have been aing their voices to the ebate
over ho$ Stonehenge ca!e into being) Challenging the classic i!age o-
in#strio#s Neolithic b#ilers "#shing% carting% rolling or ha#ling the cragg(
bl#estones -ro! -ara$a( 9ales% so!e scientists have s#ggeste that glaciers%
not h#!ans% i !ost o- the heav( li-ting) The globe is otte $ith giant
roc.s .no$n as glacial erratics that $ere carrie over long istances b(
!oving ice ;oes) Perha"s Stonehenges !a!!oth slabs $ere snatche -ro!
the Preseli Hills b( glaciers #ring one o- the Ice Ages an e"osite a stones
thro$ a$a(,at least co!"arativel(,-ro! Salisb#r( Plain) Most
archaeologists have re!aine cool to$ar the glacial theor(% ho$ever%
$onering ho$ the -orces o- nat#re co#l "ossibl( have elivere the e=act
n#!ber o- stones neee to co!"lete the circle)
9HO +UILT STONEHENGE:
Accoring to the 16th3cent#r( $riter Geo?re( o- Mon!o#th% $hose tale o-
@ing Arth#r an !(thical acco#nt o- English histor( $ere consiere -act#al
$ell into the Mile Ages% Stonehenge is the hani$or. o- the $i<ar Merlin)
In the !i38-th cent#r(% the stor( goes% h#nres o- +ritish nobles $ere
sla#ghtere b( the Sa=ons an b#rie on Salisb#r( Plain) Ho"ing to erect a
!e!orial to his -allen s#bAects% @ing A#reoles A!brosias sent an ar!( to
Irelan to retrieve a stone circle .no$n as the Giants Ring% $hich ancient
giants ha b#ilt -ro! !agical A-rican bl#estones) The soliers s#ccess-#ll(
e-eate the Irish b#t -aile to !ove the stones% so Merlin #se his sorcer( to
s"irit the! across the sea an arrange the! above the !ass grave) Legen
has it that A!brosias an his brother Uther% @ing Arth#rs -ather% are b#rie
there as $ell)
9hile !an( believe Mon!o#ths acco#nt to be the tr#e stor( o-
Stonehenges creation -or cent#ries% the !on#!ents constr#ction "reates
Merlin,or% at least% the real3li-e 8g#res $ho are sai to have ins"ire hi!,b(
several tho#san (ears) Other earl( h("otheses attrib#te its b#iling to the
Sa=ons% /anes% Ro!ans% Gree.s or Eg("tians) In the 12th cent#r(%
archaeologist 0ohn A#bre( !ae the clai! that Stonehenge $as the $or. o-
the Celtic high "riests .no$n as the /r#is% a theor( $iel( "o"#lari<e b(
the anti4#arian 9illia! St#.ele(% $ho ha #nearthe "ri!itive graves at the
site) Even toa(% "eo"le $ho ienti-( as !oern /r#is contin#e to gather at
Stonehenge -or the s#!!er solstice) Ho$ever% in the !i36'th cent#r(%
raiocarbon ating e!onstrate that Stonehenge stoo !ore than 1%'''
(ears be-ore the Celts inhabite the region% eli!inating the ancient /r#is
-ro! the r#nning)
Man( !oern historians an archaeologists no$ agree that several istinct
tribes o- "eo"le contrib#te to Stonehenge% each #nerta.ing a i?erent
"hase o- its constr#ction) +ones% tools an other arti-acts -o#n on the site
see! to s#""ort this h("othesis) The 8rst stage $as achieve b( Neolithic
agrarians $ho $ere li.el( inigeno#s to the +ritish Isles) Later% it is believe%
gro#"s $ith avance tools an a !ore co!!#nal $a( o- li-e le-t their sta!"
on the site) So!e have s#ggeste that the( $ere i!!igrants -ro! the
E#ro"ean continent% b#t !an( scientists thin. the( $ere native +ritons
escene -ro! the original b#ilers)
STONEHENGES *UNCTION AN/ SIGNI*ICANCE
I- the -acts s#rro#ning the architects an constr#ction o- Stonehenge re!ain
shao$( at best% the "#r"ose o- the arresting !on#!ent is even !ore o- a
!(ster() 9hile historians agree that it $as a "lace o- great i!"ortance -or
over 1%''' (ears% $e !a( never .no$ $hat re$ earl( +ritons to Salisb#r(
Plain an ins"ire the! to contin#e evelo"ing it) There is strong
archaeological evience that Stonehenge $as #se as a b#rial site% at least
-or "art o- its long histor(% b#t !ost scholars believe it serve other -#nctions
as $ell,either as a cere!onial site% a religio#s "ilgri!age estination% a 8nal
resting "lace -or ro(alt( or a !e!orial erecte to honor an "erha"s
s"irit#all( connect $ith istant ancestors)
In the 1>B's% the astrono!er Geral Ha$.ins s#ggeste that the cl#ster o-
!egalithic stones o"erate as an astrono!ical calenar% $ith i?erent "oints
corres"oning to astrological "heno!ena s#ch as solstices% e4#ino=es an
ecli"ses) 9hile his theor( has receive 4#ite a bit o- attention over the (ears%
critics !aintain that Stonehenges b#ilers "robabl( lac.e the .no$lege
necessar( to "reict s#ch events or that Englans ense clo# cover $o#l
have obsc#re their vie$ o- the s.ies) More recentl(% signs o- illness an
inA#r( in the h#!an re!ains #nearthe at Stonehenge le a gro#" o- +ritish
archaeologists to s"ec#late that it $as consiere a "lace o- healing% "erha"s
beca#se bl#estones $ere tho#ght to have c#rative "o$ers)
STONEHENGE TO/AC
One o- the !ost -a!o#s an recogni<able sites in the $orl% Stonehenge
ra$s !ore than D''%''' to#rists a (ear% !an( o- $ho! also visit the
regions n#!ero#s other Neolithic an +ron<e Age !arvels) In 1>DB
Stonehenge $as ae to UNESCOs register o- 9orl Heritage sites in a co3
listing $ith Aveb#r(% a Neolithic henge locate 12 !iles a$a( that is oler
an larger than its !ore -a!o#s neighbor) Stonehenge has #nergone
several restorations over the (ears% an so!e o- its bo#lers have been set in
concrete to "revent colla"se) Mean$hile% archaeological e=cavations an
evelo"!ent o- the s#rro#ning area to -acilitate to#ris! have t#rne #"
other signi8cant sites nearb(% incl#ing other henges)