Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric stone circle in the county of Wiltshire, England, which was originally dated back to around 2400 BC - though this has recently been ammended to between 2400 and 2200. The site, located jst over eight miles north of the cathedral city of Salisbury, comprises several parts, which were built up over a period of up to 1200 years. The first element to have been built is said to be the circular bank and ditch which encircle the main stone monument. Also estimated to have been erected at this time, around 3100 BC, are the 56 Aubrey Holes, discovered by the 17th century antiquarian John Aubrey, which would have held timber posts.
By around 2550 BC more posts for timbers had been dug, but by 2100 BC wood had been replaced with sarsen stones, widely regarded to have been brought from the nearby Marlborough Downs, about 18 miles north east of the monument. Thirty of these sarsens stood in what is called the outer circle; 17 of which still stand today. Bluestones, excavated from Wales, make up the site's innermost circle, comprising 60 more concentric stones. However many of these have since fallen over or have been lost. Aside from the two circles, there lay two more stones integral to the understanding of Stonehenge. Firstly, the Slaughter Stone sits at the entrance of the outer circle - and four more stones, two of which are visible today, marked a sort of hallway leading from the outer to inner circles.
It is widely accepted that stones were brought to Stonehenge both by water and by sled, but the use of the site has been debated for centuries. The lining up of stones at the winter and summer solstices seem to indicate a religious or astrological function; however some transpose an astronomical use. Neo-pagans have most recently adopted the site as a holy place of worship, and their use has become synonymous with Stonehenge in modern times, along with various tales of Arthurian legend. The last hundred years have been momentous for the monument, with several projects attempting to date, explain and theorise the various excavations that have been made at Stonehenge - for example human remains and tools found in the Aubrey Holes. And though various restorations have attempted to return Stonehenge to its former glory, and many other similar 'henges' appear across Britain, the haphazardness and authenticity of its modern arrangement are part of what makes it one of the most mysterious and loved sites in Britain today, and a breathtaking sight.
