Top 10 Facts about Stonehenge

By garethwiscombe – wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the most iconic and structurally sophisticated landmarks in England.

There are other monuments such as burial mounds that share the same landscape as the Stonehenge that tell the history of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial and rituals for the dead.

Stonehenge is in Wiltshire county southwest England. It is one of the most noticeable and known sites in the world.

Unfortunately there are no records that tell the background of the monuments, who built it and why. Most of the information about this historical site is from scientific and archeological research.

Here are some top 10 facts that we gathered about the famous Stonehenge.

1. The construction of Stonehenge was done over 5000 years ago

The Stonehenge structure is believed to have been built between 4000 and 5000 years ago. It forms one of the largest and highly complex sacred landscapes.

The biggest stones at Stonehenge are known as sarsens. They are 9 meters long and weigh at least 25 tons. 

Archeologists believe that those huge rocks were brought from Marlborough Downs 20 miles (32.19 km) north of Wiltshire.

Scientists also believe that the site underwent many modifications, the biggest being in 2500 BC when much bigger stones were brought and used to make a more impressive construction.

2. Some stones used to build the Stonehenge were imported

By Heikki Immonen, wikimedia

The Neolithic builders used foreign stones in building Stonehenge. The smaller bluestones that weigh at least 4 tons are said to have been brought from the Preseli Mountains in Wales.

It is not known how they were able to move the huge stones, some speculations say that they used teams of Oxen to using rafts. 

3. The Stonehenge used to be a cemetery

The original purpose of Stonehenge is still not known. Anthropologists that have been to the site say that when the first rocks were brought to the site, it served as a resting place for cadavers.

the 56 pits at the site are called Aubrey holes at the site. They are said to have been the burial ground for the remains of at least 64 Neolithic people.

4. It was listed as a World Heritage site in 1986

Photo by Aditya Joshi on Unsplash

The Stonehenge is one of the most recognized prehistoric sites in Britain, for this reason, it was chosen as a scheduled Ancient Monument under legislation that was introduced in 1882 to protect historic monuments in the country.

The site is managed by English Heritage while the surrounding area is owned by the National Trust.

It was later added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in 1986 and is one of the seven wonders of the Medieval World.  

Over 800,000 people visit Stonehenge annually.

5. The purpose of the Stonehenge remains unknown

Some speculations on the construction of the Stonehenge is that it served as a Druid temple, an early observatory and a ceremonial location for the enthronement of Danish kings. 

Other theories say the place was used as a site for a miracle healing and a burial ground.

One thing that the researchers agree on is that genius minds were behind the strategic laying of stones to align it with the rising and setting of the sun.

A definite conclusion of the site’s purpose cannot be agreed on because some of the stones at the site have fallen over or are missing.

6. In ancient times, people believed the stones were built by a wizard

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The early settlers at the site told of tales that a wizard used his magic to arrange the stones.

A historian named Geoffrey Monmouth told of folklore about the site. He said the Stonehenge was the works of wizard Merlin. Most people believed him for centuries.

In the 12th century, a tale is told of giants placing the monument on a mountain in Ireland. The wizard Merlin then moved the stone circle to England. 

7. The first record of the Stonehenge was in the 12th Century

Henry Huntingdon a historian and an explorer is said to be the first person to record the existence of the stone circle in writing in a passage dated 1130 CE.

He described the Stonehenge as stones of tremendous sizes that had been put up to resemble doorways. 

The doorways appeared to have been raised on other doorways. He expressed his surprise and failure to fathom how such huge stones had been raised high or why they were built there.

8. The Stonehenge may have been used to tell time

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One of the theories of the Stonehenge that seems to have been more sensible was that the stones were strategically arranged to align with the sunrise and sunset.

Every year on 21 June which happens to be the longest day of the year, the sun rises over the Heel Stone at Stonehenge; this is a single large sarsen stone that stands outside the main monument. 

During sunset, the sun sets over the Heel Stone on the shortest day of the year. This led the researchers to believe that the stones were used as a calendar and to also study the stars.

On the 21st of June each year, at least 20,000 people meet at Stonehenge to celebrate the Summer Solstice and to watch the most spectacular sunrise. 

9. The structure was once a complete circle

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When Stonehenge was first built, archeologists believe that the stones were arranged in a full circle.

They discovered evidence that showed the initial arrangement of the stones.

The area around the Stonehenge experienced drought in 2014. The condition several uneven marks on the land around the structure where they believe once stood stones.

It is also believed that there were two circles; the outer circle was made of 30 standing stones called sarsens. These stones surrounded the five huge stone arches in a horseshoe shape.

Two other small circles made up of the bluestones were positioned outside the central monument.

A ditch was dug around the circle and it is still there today. There were 56 posts made of either timber or stones in the ditch to form a ring.

10. How the Stonehenge was assembled is still a mystery

The stones used to build the Stonehenge are heavy, the smaller stones have been said to weigh as much as two cars, while the bigger one’s weight is equivalent to a fully grown African elephant.

Another mystery that has remained unsolved is the tools used to shape the stones. Shaping them would require a lot of hours when using stone hammers and chisels.

How the stones were made to stand and the smaller ones placed on top has never really been answered. 

Archeologists believe that the Neolithic man may have used ropes and strong wooden poles and frames to raise the stones, then fill the ditches with rubble and stones to hold the massive rock in place.