Stonehenge

By Steven A. Culbreath

More than nine hundred stone rings exist in the British Isles, and scholars estimate that twice that number may originally have been built. These megalithic structures should be referred to as rings rather than circles since only 2 percent of the structures are in the shape of true circles; the other 98 percent are constructed in a variety of elliptical shapes. Stonehenge, however, is roughly circular. It is nearly impossible to precisely date the stone rings because of the scarcity of datable remains associated with them, but it is known that they were constructed during the Neolithic period. In southern England, the Neolithic period dates from the development of the first farming communities around 4000 BC to the development of bronze technology around 2000 BC, when the construction of the megalithic monuments was mostly over. Because of the scantiness of the archaeological record at the stone rings, any attempts to explain the functions of the structures are interpretive. Most such attempts have tended to reflect the cultural biases of their times.

In the seventeenth century, well before the development of archaeological dating methods and accurate historical research, the antiquarian John Aubrey surmised that the Druids constructed Stonehenge and other megalithic structures. While this idea (and a whole collection of related fanciful notions) has become deeply ingrained in the uneducated minds of popular culture from the seventeenth century to the present age, it is a matter of certain knowledge that the Druids had nothing whatsoever to do with the construction of the stone rings. The Celtic society in which the Druid priesthood flourished came into existence in Britain only after 300 BC, more than 1500 years after the last stone rings were constructed. Furthermore, no evidence suggests that the Druids, upon finding the stone rings situated across the countryside, ever used them for ritual purposes; they are known to have conducted their ritual activities in sacred forest groves...

A six-week dig has been planned to investigate the site that spans an area equivalent to 10 football pitches. A site at Marden, near Devizes, rivalled Stonehenge and Avebury in its day, says English Heritage. The group is about to undertake a six-week dig at the site closeto the village, starting on June 28.

Unlike Stonehenge and Avebury, Marden Henge no longer has any surviving standing stones, but its sheer size is astounding.

View: Full article | Source: This isWiltshire

Britain"s famous prehistoric monument Stonehenge has become one of the most threatened wonders of the world.Traffic around Stonehenge as well as the cancellation of plans to bury nearby roads in a tunnel underground system have caused growing concerns for the future of one of Britain"s most important historic sites. Traffic at Stonehenge has put Britain"s mostfamous prehistoric monument on a list of the world"s most threatened sites.

The government"s decision to abandon, on cost grounds, a plan to bury roads around Stonehenge in a tunnel underground and the cancellation of plans for a permanent visitor centre, have put the site on the Threatened Wonders list of Wanderlust magazine.

View: Full article | Source: Telegraph

Archaeologists have discovered a second stone circle only a mile from Stonehenge, the prehistoric circle named "Bluehenge" would have consisted of 27 large blue stones which are nowmissing from the site."Archaeologists have discovered Stonehenge"s little sister - just a mile from the famous monument.

The prehistoric circle, unearthed in secret over the summer, is one of the most important prehistoric finds in decades."

View: Full Article | Source: Daily Mail