| The Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Amesbury in the English country of Wiltshire, about 8 miles north of Salisbury. It is not a single structure but consists a circular setting of a series of earth, timber, and stone structures that were re-modelled over a period of more than 1400 years. The word Stonehenge is derived from Anglo Saxon or Old English words ' stan "meaning stone and" hencg" meaning hinge. The term 'henge' means hanging or gibbet. So what we have is literally 'the hanging stones'. Today the word 'henge' has a specific archaeological meaning: a circular enclosure surrounding settings of stones and timber uprights, or pits. |
Know more about Medieval wonders:
Stonehenge was built in three phases. The first stage was a circle of timbers surrounded by a ditch and bank. About 2,000 BC, the first stone circle (which is now the inner circle), comprised of small bluestones, was set up, but abandoned before completion .Then began a new bigger, even better Stonehenge, the one that we know today- this was about 2,300 BC, the third and final stage of what we see now.
|
Investigations prove that it was built in several stages from 2800-1800BC. However who built it is still not properly answered .Theories about who built it have included the Druids, Greeks, Phoenicians, and Atlanteans, of which the strongest attribution has been to the Druids. Legend has it that the stones of the Giant's Ring were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by a wizard named Merlin by magic.
|
Stonehenge is surely Britain's greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and endurance. Its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has been called an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar and could also predict equinoxes and solistices. Others claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens from the societies of long ago..
Allwondersoftheworld.com describes about the Stonehenge of the Neolithic and Bronze Age which still withstand the ravages of time. Some people see it as a place steeped in magic and mystery which has captured imaginations for centuries
|
