The Mystery of Stonehenge

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is an Enigmatic Prehistory Monument located on a chalky plain north of the modern day city of Salisbury, England. It was started 5,000 years ago and modified by ancient Britons over a period of 1,000 years. Its purpose continues to be a MYSTERY.

The biggest of its stones, known as Sarsens, are up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall and weight 25 tons (22.6 metric tons) on average. It is widely believed that they were brought from Marlborough Downs, a distance of 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the north. Smaller stones, referred to as "Blue Stones" (they have a bluish tinge when wet or freshly broken), weight up to 4 tons and most of them appear to have come form the Preseli Hills in Western Wales, a distance of 156 miles (250 Kilometer). It's unknown how people in antiquity moved them that far, water transport was probably used for part of the journey. Recently, scientist have raised the possibility that during the last ice age glaciers carried these Blue Stones closer to the Stonehenge area and the monument's makers didn't have to move them all the way form Wales.

Before Stonehenge

Although construction of Stonehenge began about 5,000 years ago, the area appears to have been of symbolic importance for a much longer period of time.

As early as 10,500 years ago three large pine posts, which were totem poles of sorts, were erected at the site. Then around 5,500 years ago two earthworks known as Cursus monument were erected, the longest of which ran for 1.8 miles (3 km). The purpose of these structures is UNKNOWN.