Prehistory & Archaeology Project: Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the world famous archeological discoveries, known for its mysteries and controversies. Understanding of this architectural object continues to change along with new results of the modern scientific excavations. However, the real purpose of Stonehenge is not revealed till the moment, and it continues to remain a great mystery for more than 4.000 years already. Currently Stonehenge is situated in County Wiltshire, in United Kingdom. The site is situated around 30 miles North from the English Channel and 80 miles West of London. It is 330 feet above sea level on rolling chalk downland, which is called Salisbury Plain. Researchers assumed that it could be an astronomical calendar, an ancient temple or even guide to heavens. Stonehenge is a prehistoric timepiece, and some scientists make their attempts to theorize the ways, how it looked during the Neolithic Period and who could have been the builders of it. 

Construction of Stonehenge was done in three phases during the period of around 25 generations. Mostly the construction was made with the help of human muscles and special systems of ropes and wooden levers, which were needed in order to organize transportation of immense stones. Red deer antlers served the tools for digging up the chalky countryside of Salisbury Plain. Then it was taken away with the help of ox shoulder blades. The first information about excavation at Stonehenge dates back to the 1620s and was done in the center of the monument. It was managed by the Duke of Buckingham after the visit of King James. Later architect Inigo Jones was involved for conducting an investigation and survey of the construction. Jones assumed that Stonehenge was built by the Romans. By the end of the 17th century John Aubrey continued to survey Stonehenge and found the Aubrey Holes. “His studies of stone circles in other parts of Britain led him to conclude that they were built by the native inhabitants, rather than Romans or Danes as others had proposed. As the Druids were the only prehistoric British priests mentioned in the classical texts, he attributed Stonehenge to the Druids.” (Cleal et. al., 1995, p. 110). This idea was further developed in the 18th century by William Stukeley, he was the first one to record the Avenue and the Curses, and he also supported the idea that this monument was constructed by the Druids.

Till the moment nobody could say for sure who actually the builders of the monument were. John Aubrey was the first one to suggest that it was created by the Druids. The Druids were a religious sect; they continue to worship Stonehenge till modern times. However, this theory was later criticized, as most probably the modern Druids formed from a Celtic priesthood, which appeared only 2.000 years later than Stonehenge was built and was most probably already ruined by that time. Gerald Hawkins (1965), author and modern-day astronomer, suggested “three groups of people took part in the construction. The first may have been the secondary Neolithic people, just after 3000 BCE.” One more version stated that the builders were Wessex people, who had connections to France and Brittany and belonged to a different culture, involving it into the construction of the monument. Thus it is officially not clear who and why had built Stonehenge, but it is evident that the process of designing and constructing of it took efforts of thousands of people, who were strong and devoted to creating and finishing it. Andrew Lawson, unit director of Wessex Archeology Ltd. commented that it is more important to know not who built the monument, rather who gave the order to do it: “These people would need to have been supported and the whole venture would have needed to have been thought worthwhile. So, you either have somebody who is fairly dictatorial and is capable of coercing people into doing it or it’s somebody of great influence who uses some other power of suggestion to control people.”  (Souden, 1997, p. 201).

During the period between 1874 and 1877 excavations and survey of Stonehenge continued. Flinders Petrie conducted a thorough investigation of the monument and found out the system of numbering the stones, which is accepted till the moment. “A further programme of restoration and excavation, led by Lieutenant-Colonel William Hawley, was carried out between 1919 and 1926, when most of the south-eastern half of the monument was excavated.” (Jarus, 2017). Further excavations were continued in the 20th century by Richard Atkinson and Stuart Piggott. They aimed at finding the best options for stabilization and re-erection works for the monument. Recent discoveries of 2008 aimed at investigation of the early bluestone settings and finding of the cremation burials from Aubrey Hole 7.

Construction of Stonehenge was subdivided into several basic phases on the basis of the research data obtained. From henge to the stones the process of construction of Stonehenge lasted around 2.000 years. There are a lot of individual theories regarding the sequence of the building, generally there are three phases of building of the monument accepted. The first phase is considered to have started in 3000 BCE and it was the construction of 56 pits, which were later called Aubrey Holes after the person, who discovered them. Most probably the holes were used for holding either timber or wooden parts, which were later not needed. It is also possible that they included some remains of humans then. “The “Avenue”, a laneway that runs through a break in the henge, was created on the northeast corner of the circle and was later extended to the River Avon, two kilometres away. A “Slaughter stone,” now fallen, was placed along the Avenue at the break in the henge inside the circle. A “Heel stone” was placed 27 meters outside the main monument along the Avenue.” (Jarus, 2017). The weight of it is 35 tones and the height is 6 meters.

The second phase of building started in 2800 BCE and there are a lot of controversies regarding the events of this stage. Some researchers state that this was the moment, when the monument held timber posts and then they were taken away. Their opponents assume that there were kinds of horseshoe of bluestones created, and then they were taken down. The third stage started in approximately 2100 BCE, which involved introduction of most of the stones. “A set of five sarsen stone, or sandstone, trilithons — consisting of two pillars and a top lintel stone– were erected in the shape of a horseshoe. The tallest trilithon towers above the rest of the stone monument at more than 7 feet tall including the top stone, or lintel.” (Souden, 1997, p. 197). Separate attention of the researchers is usually paid to the mystery of the bluestones. The bluestones’ weight was only four tones and they were said to be taken from the Preseli Mountains. The distance between the Preseli Mountains and Stonehenge is around 385 kilometers. There is enough historical evidence, suggesting that Stonehenge was used a burial site, but it could have served a number of other functions as well. Some scientists assumed that this place could have been considered to be a place of healing, because the bluestones were considered to have curative characteristics.

Overall, there are a lot of mysteries and unknown facts about architects and construction of Stonehenge. Most of the historians conclude that this was a place of great importance; still they lack the facts about the real reasons of building the monument and developing of it within a long period of time. Stonehenge remains one of the greatest monuments of architecture, revealing new information and at the same time leaving new mysteries for the researchers.

References:

Cleal, R., Walker, K., Montague, R. (1995). Stonehenge in Its Landscape: Twentieth-century Excavations, English Heritage Archaeological Report 10. English Heritage,  94–114.

Hawkins, Gerald S. (1965). Stonehenge Decoded. New York: Doubleday.

Jarus, Owen. (2017). Stonehenge: Facts & Theories About Mysterious Monument. LiveScience

Mackie, Euan. (1977).  The Megalith Builders. Oxford: Phaidon Press Ltd.

Niel, Fernand. (1975). The Mysteries of Stonehenge. New York: Avon Books.

Souden, David. (1997). Stonehenge Revealed. New York: Facts on File, Inc.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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