Stonehenge: the Unanswered Questions and Intriguing Mystery

Henges exist all around Britain. They are, by definition, “circular banks of earth paralleled by an internal ditch.” (Alexander, 36). Why is it, then, that Stonehenge in particular has captured the attention of so many, and has been a cause of mystery and intrigue for centuries? What did the Neolithic people who built Stonehenge see its purpose to be? Why were the stones hauled such a huge distance? All these unanswered questions contribute to the intrigue and wonder I felt when I first saw Stonehenge.

I imagined the structure to be much larger. As we approached the site on our way from Stourhead, I was amazed that I didn’t spot it from the road, and I was even more surprised when I first saw it from the entrance ramp to notice it was not a perfect circle. It just proves that preconceived notions need not be confirmed in order to be impressed and awed by seeing Stonehenge and recognizing it for the historical mystery it is.

Stonehenge was erected between 3000 BC and 1600 BC (English). It is a magnificent stone monument modeled on timber precedents and made of bluestones from Wales (Alexander, 36). The largest stones which comprise Stonehenge weigh up to 50 tons (Alexander, 36). The Neolithic people who erected Stonehenge hauled, floated and dragged these apparently precious stones from Wales all the way to their current site (Alexander, 36).

The approximate 1400 years in which it took to construct also remains an unanswered question. To consider the immense effort it took to put together such an organized and seemingly logical structure is mind-boggling. Although the quest for its true purpose has yet to be fully discovered, it is apparent that its purposes might have been sacred, and therefore, the sacrifice of the builders is not to be ridiculed but respected.

Animal bones and deer antlers were used by the builders to prepare the ground for Stonehenge (English). Balls of stone, known as mauls, were used as hammers to shape the stones (English). Keeping in mind these primitive and laborious means of construction, it is no wonder it took so long to construct. Stonehenge’s purpose is predicted as being sacred, and something that a huge following was completely devoted to. Several different archaeologists hypothesize several different uses for Stonehenge – a sun temple, astronomical calendar, city of the ancestral dead, center of healing, stone representation of the gods, symbol of status and power, etc. (Alexander, 59). Some archaeologists believe it was the focal point of the ancient ceremonial structures that were in the area (English).

Through means of radiocarbon dating, experts are able to categorize the construction of the current-day Stonehenge into three phases (AboutStonehenge). In the first period there was a circular enclosure surrounded by two banks and an entrance on the northeast side, as well as an upright stone standing a few meters away from the entrance. Archaeologists discovered that when someone stands in the very middle of Stonehenge and faces this entrance, they can see the sun rise just to the left of the outer stone on midsummer morning (AboutStonehenge). The second phase introduced the blue stones from the Preseli Mountains in western Wales, as well as other modifications to the initial phase’s structure, including the addition of post holes (AboutStonehenge). The third phase brought about the most changes, which also meant it lasted the longest amount of time (AboutStonehenge). 82 standing bluestones were added in the shape of a circle, but this was dismantled about 100 years later (AboutStonehenge). 30 sandstones were then arranged in the shape of a circle, with the stones on top and the altar stone was also installed (AboutStonehenge).

The splendor and spectacle of Stonehenge is seemingly random because it also appears out of place in the English countryside. To consider the building process, speculate about the purpose it served, as well as wonder about the unique form of structure it is made my visit to Stonehenge so much more meaningful and I accepted its unanswered questions as gifts from history.

Works Cited

AboutStonehenge.info. "Stonehenge Construction Periods, Phases, and History." About Stonehenge. 16 Jun 2008. AboutStonehenge.info. 12 Jun 2008 .

Alexander, Caroline. "If the Stones Could Speak." National Geographic June 2008: 36-59.

English Heritage. "Stonehenge-Forever a Mystery." English Heritage. English Heritage Newsletter. 12 Jun 2008 .