Stonehenge

UnescoWorld Heritage Site

State Party:United Kingdom

Type: most likely Religion

Criteria:i, ii, iii

Inscription: 1986

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 13 km north of Salisbury. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. Archaeologists believe the standing stones  were erected around 2200 BC and the surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. A probable derivation of the name Stonehenge is from the old English words "stan" meaning "stone", and either "hencg" meaning "hinge"(because the stone lintels hinge on the uprighit stones)or"hen(c)en"meaning "heng" or"gallows" or "instrument of torture".

Stonehenge is one of the finest prehistoric monuments in existence and remarkable mystery. We will never know why people went to Stonehenge or why hundreds of people struggled over thousands of years to build this monumental stone circle. Although there is no evidence for  animal or human sacrifice at Stonehenge, some believe that the presence of the grave of a young child seems to indicate a ritual sacrifice. The monument you see today is about half of the original monument because some of the stones have fallen down, others have been carried away for building and also visitors have added their damage too. How did ancient man build this monument? To build this ancient monument, people  probably used animal bones, since excavations of the ditch have recovered lots of these bones. Another mystery about Stonehenge: is how ancient man got these stones to stand upright. The truth is, nobody really knows because each one weighed more than 45 tonnes.