Stones of History - Stonehenge

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Sun worship temple or Healing centre or Huge calendar?

Since we arrived to UK Stonehenge was on top of my list of places to visit. Stonehenge is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain and there are not that many people that have never heard about it. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it. Question is who built it and how??

The Stonehenge that we see today is the final stage but it was built in 4 stages apparently. When we walked around with our audio guides we learnt that large earthwork or Henge was probably built around 3000 BC. That is long time ago ;-) Excavations have revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were probably made, not for the purpose of graves, but as part of the religious ceremony. In the Second Stage some 82 bluestones from the Preseli Mountains, in south-west Wales were transported to the site. These stones, some weighing 4 tonnes each were dragged on rollers and sledges to the headwaters and then loaded onto rafts and then being dragged overland again to Wiltshire. This astonishing journey covers nearly 240 miles. Once at the site, these stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. Third Stage involved bringing Sarsen stones from about 25 miles north of Stonehenge. The largest of the Sarsen stones weigh 50 tonnes and it is believed that they were moved using sledges and ropes. These were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels. The Final Stage involved rearrangement in the horseshoe and circle that we see today. The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, these have long since been removed or broken up.

It is quite astonishing to look at this circle of stones and imagine what they were brought here for. There are different theories - a burial site, solar worship centre or maybe it has some astrological meaning. We will probably never know ;-)
One day of a year you can come to Stonehenge and experience amazing sunrise accompanied by drums and loads of people celebrating midsummer solstice. We have never attended but we heard it is one of a kind event ;-)

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