Circular in shape, its outer ring consists of vertical sarsen standing stones. A lot of archaeologists and scholars are still looking for answers to their questions. The reason for the rumor of it being spooky is that the Sarsen stone which was used to build Stonehenge occurred as loose or semi-buried boulders.
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Stonehenge_ A Saga of Beliefs & Theories.pdf
1. Stonehenge: A Saga of
Beliefs & Theories
Source – nationalgeographic
If you’re an archaeologist or a person who is fascinated with different
structures and the stories or mysteries behind them, Stonehenge is a good
option to study in depth. The pre-historic stone monument holds a
supernatural anonymity. The unlikeliness of its construction the history
holds more spookiness.
Circular in shape, its outer ring consists of vertical sarsen standing stones.
A lot of archaeologists and scholars are still looking for answers to their
questions. The reason for the rumor of it being spooky is that the Sarsen
2. stone which was used to build Stonehenge occurred as loose or
semi-buried boulders. They are not connected in any way. A pre-historic
monument, Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most prominent monument.
It is located 3 km west of Amesbury.
Many researchers have suggested that Stonehenge was used as a
cemetery for adult men and women for about 5 centuries. That time was
the first two main stages of the construction of Stonehenge. It is said that
the place was a cemetery for a selected group of people who were treated
separately from the rest of the population. It was a powerful and noteworthy
site in the Neolithic period. As per experts, 40% of the people buried there
came from west Wales. Those people are also believed to have helped with
the transportation of the stones and build the Stonehenge.
Some questions surrounding Stonehenge:
A lot of questions remain unanswered about Stonehenge. As we see the
structure a lot of questions pop up in our mind. A lot of experts and
archaeologists have claimed or stated many things about it. To date people
are finding solutions to simple questions like how the stones are not
connected, and if they aren’t connected how do they stand up there?
1. What is The Great Fall?
It is said that the trilithon collapsed over two centuries ago. Three of the
largest megaliths are believed to have fallen and it was the first time that
such an event was recorded. This is one in three such events in which the
stones are said to have fallen at the site in modern times.
2. Who Built Stonehenge?
3. The monument was constructed in distinct stages and the builders of it
belonged to specific groups. The first group, the Windmill Hill people built
large circular furrows and mounds. The majority of their burial mounds
point east-west. Their roots belong to eastern England. They were the first
hunting and semi-nomadic groups. They maintained a strong devotion to
circles and symmetry.
The second group, The Beaker people were thought to have originated
from Spain, migrating northwards and finally colonizing in north-west
Europe. Instead of burying their dead people in graves, they showed more
accountability for death by placing them in small round-shaped graves
marked by mounds called tumuli. It was presumed by archaeologists that
the Beaker People were more warlike by behavior as compared to most of
the tribes as they buried their dead with more weapons like daggers and
battle axes.
3. Are humans not allowed to touch it?
4. A few years ago, the Stonehenge was laser scanned. Each stone has
suffered damage due to the hands of people. It has prehistoric carvings of
axes on many stones, but most of them have faded away except for one
particular one. The simple reason for not allowing to touch the monument is
to keep it as it is. The human touch to it causes damage and changes in
shape.
4. Is the monument an ancient clock?
Stonehenge is about tracking the Sun through its yearly cycle. So it is
perfectly set up to indicate the time of the year. The Astronomer, Sir Fred
Hoyle, suggested a simple marker moved around the bluestones that would
track the Sun to an accuracy of about a week.
5. How deep is it?
5. There are varied stones of different sizes and shapes. The period since its
construction is also long. The largest stone, known as Stone 56, goes 2.13
meters deep into the ground. Due to the weight, the stones have sunk into
the ground.
6. Why the circular shape?
The structure of the Stonehenge is astonishing for sure. The reason for it
being circular isn’t known. However, it is believed that the stones were
placed carefully in line to track the Sun’s movements to predict the time
and seasons of the year. It is also believed that the structure holds some
religious sentiments of the people who constructed it.
The Masterminds behind the Monument:
1. John Aubrey (1626-1697):
6. Source – nytimes
He was a Wiltshire-born antiquarian who made the first drawing of
Stonehenge in 1666. He also encountered cavities in the ground. Those
were seen as pits and are now famously known as Aubrey Holes. His
observations and other stone circles around Britain led him to conclude
they were built by the native Britons.
2. William Stukeley (1687–1765):
Stukeley coined the term Trilithon in 1723. He spent two and a half days
taking over 2000 measurements of the planned monument. In this way he
proved that Stonehenge could not be Roman, as by using their unit of
measurement, the distance between the stones had produced fractions of
numbers which he decided were laughable and without any design.
3. William Cunnington (1754–1810):
7. Cunningston’s doctor had advised him to ‘ride out or die’. He took it
seriously and started taking regular strides across the Salisbury Plain. He
made way for 465 barrows in Wiltshire including the Bush Barrow. He did
this with the support of Sir Richard ‘Colt’ Hoare over 7 years as he was
mainly interested in ancient burial mounds.
Why was it built?
We can only draw presumptions surrounding the making of an architectural
gem. Aligning with the equinox points, Stonehenge composed heavenly
events. During midsummer, the sunrise near the Heel Stone, illuminating
the monument’s center depicts intentional alignment. The Sun dusks
perfectly between the largest sarsen stones which indicates another
deliberate set of arrangement. Stonehenge developed not only as a
spiritual monument but also as a functional clock that predicts solstices. It
is a testament to ancient inventiveness which serves as both, a timekeeper
and a symbol of power.