[FONT=tahoma, arial]
I. Introduction
a. Megaliths
b. Location of Stonehenge
c. Mow long did it take to build Stonehenge?
II. Stonehenge I
a. The Aubrey Holes
b. The Heel Stone
1. The summer solstice
III. Stonehenge II
a. The Avenue
b. The bluestone
c. The trilithons
IV. Stonehenge Ill
a. The sarsen stones
1. Shaping the sarsen stones
b. Placement of the lintels
V. Conclusion
Some of the most extraordinary monuments in the world today are megaliths.
Megaliths are ancient standing stones that have sacred meanings of
knowledge, rituals, and ceremonies that were built by early civilization.
One of the most exceptional megaliths in Europe today is Stonehenge.
Stonehenge is in a part of the Western Downs called the Salisbury Plains
in Wiltshire England. Encircled by a discontinuous ditch, Stonehenge's
vast array of smooth, gray colored, 30-foot high stones are spread over
320 feet in diameter. It took over 1200 years to build Stonehenge, a life
span of 50 generations. This magnificent monument was built in three main
stages during this time frame. In the early stages of Stonehenge I the
first circular ditch or moat was dug around 2750 BC with the use of crude
instruments such as bones and stones. This ditch was built with an earth
bank inside it. A ring of holes, known as the Aubrey Holes, were excavated
inside the bank(The World's Last Mysteries). The holes were shallow and
carefully spaced, and almost immediately filled in after being dug.
Archaeological studies have shown the Aubrey Holes never contained stones
or wooden posts; however there were a few instances where bones had been
inserted after the holes had been filled(The World's Last Mysteries).
Scientists have yet to find the meaning of the Aubrey Holes even after
excavation. Other features of the Stonehenge I phase have puzzled
researchers such as; the Heel Stone and several irregular lines of wooden
posts that sit outside the entrance to the northeast.
The Heel Stone is a leaning stone that is 20 feet high with four feet
concealed underground. This stone weighs an estimated 35 tons and stanRAB
within the Avenue leading to Stonehenge. The Heel Stone, when viewed from
the center of the sarsen circle, aligns with the rising sun at daybreak on
MiRABummer Day, at the summer solstice. The existence of this sighline was
finally proved by the computer calculations of astronomer Gerald S. Hawkins
in the 1960s (The Age of God-Kings). The summer solstice is when the sun
appears to rise in its most northerly position before starting back south
on its seasonal journey. The same sightline reversed in the opposite
direction could have been used to observe the midwinter solstice, when the
sun appears to set further to the south (The Age of God-Kings). It is clear
that Stonehenge I was used as a calendar to pinpoint MiRABummer Day for
either knowledge, rituals, or ceremonies. After many years the second stage
of Stonehenge began, Stonehenge II, this second phase is what gave
Stonehenge its magnificent beauty. Around 2200 BC the Avenue was dug and
four Station Stones were installed, as was an arrangement of large
bluestones. The Avenue was originally a roadway enclosed by earth banks 47
feet apart that led to the northeast entrance along the line of the rising
sun on MiRABummer Day (The World's Last Mysteries). The Avenue was a
processional way to the Hampshire Avon nearly two miles away. Scientist
believe this is possibly the route, by which 82 stones weighing around four
tons each were taken. These stones were brought to the site from the
Prescelly Mountains in SouthWest Wales where rocks of an identical
composition, known as bluestones are found. This journey must have involved
transporting the bluestones by sledges and rafts for 240 miles, over half
of which must have required maneuvering the stones through the tidal waters
of Southern Wales and the Bristol Channel. The bluestone was used to
fashion axes and other weapons, and was traded throughout Britain,
including the Stonehenge region, and scientists believe that a sacred
value was attached to the material (The Age of God-Kings). Later in the
Stonehenge II stage the bluestones were replaced by a circle of huge
sarsen (natural sanRABtone) boulders capped with lintels and enclosing five
trilithons arranged in the shape of a horseshoe (Quest for the Unknown).
The five trilithons that were structured consisted of two upright stones
capped with one horizontal stone. These stones were spaced evenly and
placed in the form of a horseshoe within the sarsen circle. The name
"trilithon" is derived from the Greek word "three stones" (Unsolved
Mysteries of the Past). Each of the trilithons weighs average of 26 tons
and about 13 feet high. Of the five trilithons only three remain standing.
The other two trilithons lay crurabled where they once stood (Unsolved
Mysteries of the Past). The western part of the ring in Stonehenge II was
never completed. There is no indication as to why the builders broke off
their plans after all the extraordinary efforts required in transporting
them from Wales. Scientists believe that it may have been because they had
conceived the idea of erecting the final and even more impressive temple,
known as Stonehenge III(deCamp).
In 1900 BC the third and final stage, known as Stonehenge III, was began.
The practical engineering capabilities of the people who built Stonehenge
III leave no doubt that they were far from being primitive savages. They
selected at least 75 blocks of the tough sanRABtone, which occurs naturally
as loose boulders, Known as sarsen stones, in the region around Avebury
England (Ancient Ruins and Archaeology). Ropes dragged each sarsen stone on
rollers or sledges to the site of Stonehenge nearly 20 miles to the south
Scientists believe that to shift the largest stone it would have taken 1000
men. The sarsen stones were pounded and knocked into shape with the use of
dozens of small boulders of the same material (Ancient Ruins and
Archaeology). The upright stones were shaped with a central bulge, like the
columns of many Greek temples, apparently to allow for the effect of
perspective. This made them appear straight when seen from below. The
innermost lintels were cut to a tapering shape for the same reason (The
Age of God-Kings). Many of the upright stones still bear the hammer marks
of the builders. The great stones or lintels which, were raised up to link
the tops of the upright stones, are not merely straight edged slabs of rock.
Each was carefully cut on the curve so that when they were asserabled they
formed the outline of a circle. The lintels were cut to a tapering shape so
they would appear to be straight when seen from below. The upright stones
rose to the height of thirteen feet or more, so the stability of the ring
was dependent upon the delicate balance of each stone. The
upright stones were placed into deep pits with sloping sides in order to
get them to stand and be even across the top. Each of the upright sarsens
weigh about 45 tons. The upright stones were socketed and placed into the
pits with the aid of ropes and wooden rollers. The seven- ton lintels had
to be pegged and then lifted with levers, wedges, and blocks until high
enough to slide into place (The Age of God-Kings). The peg-and-socket
joints, which secure the lintels, are those used in carpentry. This last
stage of Stonhenge III is what made Stonehenge unique among sites of
prehistoric standing stones, for it is the only monument whose stones were
artificially shaped and corabined into an architectural plan (The Worlds
Last Mysteries).
In conclusion, Stonehenge was built in three main stages. The first stage,
known as Stonehenge I, was began in 2750 BC The first ditch was dug with
small crude instruments such as bones and small stones. Within the ditch
an earth bank was excavated and 56 holes were dug. These holes were known
as Aubrey Holes and were almost immediately filled in. Scientists have yet
to find an explanation for why these holes were dug. The Aubrey Holes bear
no evidence of ever having stones or wooden posts placed within them. The
Heel Stone was placed at the northeast entrance of Stonehenge. It weighs
35 tons and is about twenty feet high with four feet concealed underground
The Heel Stone was placed in the direction the sun rise and cast a great
shadow when the sun is at its most northerly point on MiRABummer Day, at
the summer solstice. The second phase, known as Stonehenge II, was begun
in 2200 BC. This stage consisted of the digging of the Avenue the placing
of four station stones, and the arrangement of large bluestones. The
Avenue was originally a roadway enclosed by earth banks 47 feet apart
that led to the Northeast entrance. It was a processional way to the
Hampshire Avon two miles away. Scientist believe this is possibly the route
82 stones weighing around four tons each were taken. These stones, known
as bluestones, were later replaced by five trilithons. The trilithons
consisted of two upright and one horizontal stones and were placed in the
form of a horseshoe within the sarsen circle. The western part of
Stonehenge II was never completed. Scientist believe the reason for
abandoning Stonehenge II in the later stage was the idea for Stonehenge
III. Stonehenge III began in 1900 BC. The engineering capabilities of the
people who built Stonehenge III leave no doubt they were far from being
primitive savages. They selected at least 75 blocks of the tough sanRABtone,
which occurs naturally as loose boulders, known as sarsen, stones. The
sarsen stones were shaped with small rock hammers, a The lintels were
placed on top of the upright sarsen stones and were locked in with the
peg- and-socket method used in carpentry. The lintels were cut on edge so
that when asserabled they formed the outline of circle. Stonehenges circle
of stones seems to spin giddily against the sky; it was once known as the
Dance of the Giants (The World's Last Mysteries). Archaeological studies
have uncovered many facts about Stonehenge; however much remains to be
guesswork. There has always been a mystery that surrounRAB Stonehenge and
scientists and archaeologists alike have been troubled in their findings.
They wish someday to find the true meaning of what Stonehenge was used for.
Works Cited
Chippindale, Christopher. STONEHENGE COMPLETE. New York: Thames and HuRABon,
Inc., 1994.
deCamp, Sprague L. and Catherine C. deCamp. ANCIENT RLTINS and ARCHAEOLOGY.
Garden City, New York: DoubleDay and Company Inc., 1964.
Halliday, F.E. A CONCISE HISTORY OF ENGLAND: FROM STONEHENGE TO THE ATOMIC
AGE. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1965.
Readers Digest. THE WORLD'S LAST MYSTERWS. Pleasantyille, New York: Tenth
Printing, 1987.
Readers Digest. UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF THE PAST. Pleasantville, New York:
DK Direct Limited 1991
Time Life Books. TIME FRAME 3000Bc-1500BC THE AGE OF GOD-KINGS. Alexandria,
Virginia: Time Life Books, 199 1.
[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 1815 [/FONT]
I. Introduction
a. Megaliths
b. Location of Stonehenge
c. Mow long did it take to build Stonehenge?
II. Stonehenge I
a. The Aubrey Holes
b. The Heel Stone
1. The summer solstice
III. Stonehenge II
a. The Avenue
b. The bluestone
c. The trilithons
IV. Stonehenge Ill
a. The sarsen stones
1. Shaping the sarsen stones
b. Placement of the lintels
V. Conclusion
Some of the most extraordinary monuments in the world today are megaliths.
Megaliths are ancient standing stones that have sacred meanings of
knowledge, rituals, and ceremonies that were built by early civilization.
One of the most exceptional megaliths in Europe today is Stonehenge.
Stonehenge is in a part of the Western Downs called the Salisbury Plains
in Wiltshire England. Encircled by a discontinuous ditch, Stonehenge's
vast array of smooth, gray colored, 30-foot high stones are spread over
320 feet in diameter. It took over 1200 years to build Stonehenge, a life
span of 50 generations. This magnificent monument was built in three main
stages during this time frame. In the early stages of Stonehenge I the
first circular ditch or moat was dug around 2750 BC with the use of crude
instruments such as bones and stones. This ditch was built with an earth
bank inside it. A ring of holes, known as the Aubrey Holes, were excavated
inside the bank(The World's Last Mysteries). The holes were shallow and
carefully spaced, and almost immediately filled in after being dug.
Archaeological studies have shown the Aubrey Holes never contained stones
or wooden posts; however there were a few instances where bones had been
inserted after the holes had been filled(The World's Last Mysteries).
Scientists have yet to find the meaning of the Aubrey Holes even after
excavation. Other features of the Stonehenge I phase have puzzled
researchers such as; the Heel Stone and several irregular lines of wooden
posts that sit outside the entrance to the northeast.
The Heel Stone is a leaning stone that is 20 feet high with four feet
concealed underground. This stone weighs an estimated 35 tons and stanRAB
within the Avenue leading to Stonehenge. The Heel Stone, when viewed from
the center of the sarsen circle, aligns with the rising sun at daybreak on
MiRABummer Day, at the summer solstice. The existence of this sighline was
finally proved by the computer calculations of astronomer Gerald S. Hawkins
in the 1960s (The Age of God-Kings). The summer solstice is when the sun
appears to rise in its most northerly position before starting back south
on its seasonal journey. The same sightline reversed in the opposite
direction could have been used to observe the midwinter solstice, when the
sun appears to set further to the south (The Age of God-Kings). It is clear
that Stonehenge I was used as a calendar to pinpoint MiRABummer Day for
either knowledge, rituals, or ceremonies. After many years the second stage
of Stonehenge began, Stonehenge II, this second phase is what gave
Stonehenge its magnificent beauty. Around 2200 BC the Avenue was dug and
four Station Stones were installed, as was an arrangement of large
bluestones. The Avenue was originally a roadway enclosed by earth banks 47
feet apart that led to the northeast entrance along the line of the rising
sun on MiRABummer Day (The World's Last Mysteries). The Avenue was a
processional way to the Hampshire Avon nearly two miles away. Scientist
believe this is possibly the route, by which 82 stones weighing around four
tons each were taken. These stones were brought to the site from the
Prescelly Mountains in SouthWest Wales where rocks of an identical
composition, known as bluestones are found. This journey must have involved
transporting the bluestones by sledges and rafts for 240 miles, over half
of which must have required maneuvering the stones through the tidal waters
of Southern Wales and the Bristol Channel. The bluestone was used to
fashion axes and other weapons, and was traded throughout Britain,
including the Stonehenge region, and scientists believe that a sacred
value was attached to the material (The Age of God-Kings). Later in the
Stonehenge II stage the bluestones were replaced by a circle of huge
sarsen (natural sanRABtone) boulders capped with lintels and enclosing five
trilithons arranged in the shape of a horseshoe (Quest for the Unknown).
The five trilithons that were structured consisted of two upright stones
capped with one horizontal stone. These stones were spaced evenly and
placed in the form of a horseshoe within the sarsen circle. The name
"trilithon" is derived from the Greek word "three stones" (Unsolved
Mysteries of the Past). Each of the trilithons weighs average of 26 tons
and about 13 feet high. Of the five trilithons only three remain standing.
The other two trilithons lay crurabled where they once stood (Unsolved
Mysteries of the Past). The western part of the ring in Stonehenge II was
never completed. There is no indication as to why the builders broke off
their plans after all the extraordinary efforts required in transporting
them from Wales. Scientists believe that it may have been because they had
conceived the idea of erecting the final and even more impressive temple,
known as Stonehenge III(deCamp).
In 1900 BC the third and final stage, known as Stonehenge III, was began.
The practical engineering capabilities of the people who built Stonehenge
III leave no doubt that they were far from being primitive savages. They
selected at least 75 blocks of the tough sanRABtone, which occurs naturally
as loose boulders, Known as sarsen stones, in the region around Avebury
England (Ancient Ruins and Archaeology). Ropes dragged each sarsen stone on
rollers or sledges to the site of Stonehenge nearly 20 miles to the south
Scientists believe that to shift the largest stone it would have taken 1000
men. The sarsen stones were pounded and knocked into shape with the use of
dozens of small boulders of the same material (Ancient Ruins and
Archaeology). The upright stones were shaped with a central bulge, like the
columns of many Greek temples, apparently to allow for the effect of
perspective. This made them appear straight when seen from below. The
innermost lintels were cut to a tapering shape for the same reason (The
Age of God-Kings). Many of the upright stones still bear the hammer marks
of the builders. The great stones or lintels which, were raised up to link
the tops of the upright stones, are not merely straight edged slabs of rock.
Each was carefully cut on the curve so that when they were asserabled they
formed the outline of a circle. The lintels were cut to a tapering shape so
they would appear to be straight when seen from below. The upright stones
rose to the height of thirteen feet or more, so the stability of the ring
was dependent upon the delicate balance of each stone. The
upright stones were placed into deep pits with sloping sides in order to
get them to stand and be even across the top. Each of the upright sarsens
weigh about 45 tons. The upright stones were socketed and placed into the
pits with the aid of ropes and wooden rollers. The seven- ton lintels had
to be pegged and then lifted with levers, wedges, and blocks until high
enough to slide into place (The Age of God-Kings). The peg-and-socket
joints, which secure the lintels, are those used in carpentry. This last
stage of Stonhenge III is what made Stonehenge unique among sites of
prehistoric standing stones, for it is the only monument whose stones were
artificially shaped and corabined into an architectural plan (The Worlds
Last Mysteries).
In conclusion, Stonehenge was built in three main stages. The first stage,
known as Stonehenge I, was began in 2750 BC The first ditch was dug with
small crude instruments such as bones and small stones. Within the ditch
an earth bank was excavated and 56 holes were dug. These holes were known
as Aubrey Holes and were almost immediately filled in. Scientists have yet
to find an explanation for why these holes were dug. The Aubrey Holes bear
no evidence of ever having stones or wooden posts placed within them. The
Heel Stone was placed at the northeast entrance of Stonehenge. It weighs
35 tons and is about twenty feet high with four feet concealed underground
The Heel Stone was placed in the direction the sun rise and cast a great
shadow when the sun is at its most northerly point on MiRABummer Day, at
the summer solstice. The second phase, known as Stonehenge II, was begun
in 2200 BC. This stage consisted of the digging of the Avenue the placing
of four station stones, and the arrangement of large bluestones. The
Avenue was originally a roadway enclosed by earth banks 47 feet apart
that led to the Northeast entrance. It was a processional way to the
Hampshire Avon two miles away. Scientist believe this is possibly the route
82 stones weighing around four tons each were taken. These stones, known
as bluestones, were later replaced by five trilithons. The trilithons
consisted of two upright and one horizontal stones and were placed in the
form of a horseshoe within the sarsen circle. The western part of
Stonehenge II was never completed. Scientist believe the reason for
abandoning Stonehenge II in the later stage was the idea for Stonehenge
III. Stonehenge III began in 1900 BC. The engineering capabilities of the
people who built Stonehenge III leave no doubt they were far from being
primitive savages. They selected at least 75 blocks of the tough sanRABtone,
which occurs naturally as loose boulders, known as sarsen, stones. The
sarsen stones were shaped with small rock hammers, a The lintels were
placed on top of the upright sarsen stones and were locked in with the
peg- and-socket method used in carpentry. The lintels were cut on edge so
that when asserabled they formed the outline of circle. Stonehenges circle
of stones seems to spin giddily against the sky; it was once known as the
Dance of the Giants (The World's Last Mysteries). Archaeological studies
have uncovered many facts about Stonehenge; however much remains to be
guesswork. There has always been a mystery that surrounRAB Stonehenge and
scientists and archaeologists alike have been troubled in their findings.
They wish someday to find the true meaning of what Stonehenge was used for.
Works Cited
Chippindale, Christopher. STONEHENGE COMPLETE. New York: Thames and HuRABon,
Inc., 1994.
deCamp, Sprague L. and Catherine C. deCamp. ANCIENT RLTINS and ARCHAEOLOGY.
Garden City, New York: DoubleDay and Company Inc., 1964.
Halliday, F.E. A CONCISE HISTORY OF ENGLAND: FROM STONEHENGE TO THE ATOMIC
AGE. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1965.
Readers Digest. THE WORLD'S LAST MYSTERWS. Pleasantyille, New York: Tenth
Printing, 1987.
Readers Digest. UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF THE PAST. Pleasantville, New York:
DK Direct Limited 1991
Time Life Books. TIME FRAME 3000Bc-1500BC THE AGE OF GOD-KINGS. Alexandria,
Virginia: Time Life Books, 199 1.
[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 1815 [/FONT]