Stonehenge: An Ancient Monument That Continues to Intrigue 

There are many architectural marvels in this world built by ancient civilizations. The pyramids in Egypt, the Roman Aqueducts in Italy, and Megalithic temples in Indonesia, just to name a few. These ancient marvels continue to intrigue and astound scholars, archaeologists, and engineers mainly because these structures were supposedly crafted out of the most rudimentary resources available at the time. Stonehenge stands as a prime example.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Found on the Salisbury Plains, north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monument may have been built between 3000 and 1520 BCE. This period marked the transition from the New Stone Age (Neolithic Period) to the Bronze Age.

It’s a special experience to actually touch the stones that are almost as old as Noah’s ark. When I was allowed to visit Stonehenge in the late 70’s, I could walk within the circle and touch the stones! It was exhilarating to feel a part of such a mesmerizing prehistoric megalithic (huge rocks) structure. Today, visitors are allowed to take photos as they please but are not allowed to touch the stones. 

Stonehenge comprises several large sandstone rock slabs, each weighing approximately 28 tons. The stones originally stood upright, forming a perfectly circular trilithon, which consists of large vertical stones or posts supporting horizontal stones that lie across the top (lintels). Viewed today, Stonehenge is a much different sight because half of its trilithon stones have fallen over the centuries.  

The big question

The puzzling question that remains today for scientists, researchers, engineers, and archaeologists is how these massive rocks were transported to the site, some from as far as 300 miles and others from 17 miles away, with the most rudimentary means of transportation at the time.

Theories abound related to this question. We’ll take a look at a few of these. One theory suggests that the stones were carried by sleds or ancient boats, although a new study favours the land transportation theory whereby quarries were identified as the possible source of the stones. Workers may have used wooden or stone balls accompanied by long grooved planks to slide the slabs into place. With the assistance of animals, such as cattle, and other animals’ fat residue, this would have made the task easier to achieve. An organized system of ropes and pulleys may have also been used to move the slabs into place.

Stonehenge was constructed in phases, with the Hedge Monument being the first. It took hundreds of workers hundreds of years, toiling consistently, to move the stones into place. About 1,500 years later, this monument was finally realized.  

Possible theories for Stonehenge construction

Stonehenge may have been constructed as a sacred burial site; burial grounds are all around the location. Skeletons of men, women, and children have been found, although possibly only those of the elite. According to a study of dental records, about half the remains found were those of people who made the pilgrimage from other regions in Europe. 

The existence of ceremonial route to the site has been discovered, suggesting that rituals took place within the monument by its altar stone (Stone 80), as it is referred to, which is a purplish-green sandstone weighing six tons when upright. In the 1950’s, this stone was excavated, but unfortunately no written records remain. 

Stonehenge may have been a means to study the heavens by knowledgeable astronomers, through the observance of celestial and astronomical alignments and events such as eclipses, moon cycles, and the summer and winter solstices. The moon’s 18.6-year cycle may have played a significant role in Stonehenge’s design, considering that the “Station Stones” are aligned with the northernmost and southernmost moonset and moonrise. The site was used as a calendar–an astronomical computer, in a sense. 

The site may have been a place of  “healing”–the curing of the sick–according to archaeologists. Skeletons found around the site indicate that many had serious disease or injury. The content of graves scattered around Stonehenge contained amulets made from the ancient chipping of rocks. One particular dig found remnants of blue stones, which originally were part of Stonehenge, used to create the amulets.

Stonehenge used for formal ceremonies

Today, Stonehenge is used by pagan religions that have some similarities. Druids often use Stonehenge for formal ceremonies. Druidism expresses a love of nature and its accompanying changes in season. Eights times a year, Druids gather to celebrate the changing seasons, a celebration of both equinoxes and solstices. To the Druids, this epitomizes the celebration of life and death.  

Nobody knows for sure what Stonehenge was originally used for; that is part of the appeal, the mystery, and the excitement of visiting the site. Many visitors come out of curiosity or for an historical perspective of the ancient world. For whatever reason, most will leave with many questions still in mind.