Stonehenge

one of the sites Linda really wanted to visit while we were in England was Stonehenge.  This megalith is as we know a series of very large stones set in a circular pattern the purpose of which is only suspected.  Archeological digs in the area have revealed artifacts and cremation remains that have been confirmed to contain human remains. This evidence leads everyone to assume it was a burial grounds with ceremonial significance. The remains of animals also suggests that this was a site of sacrifices to various gods.

The earliest findings have been dated to around 3000 BCE making this site one of the oldest and longest used sites known.  The arrangement of the stones takes on special significance on Winter and Summer Solstices.  On these dates the rising sun cast light and shadows in particular ways to fully illuminate spaces inside the circle which on every other day are only partially lit.

The real topic of questions is how were these mammoth stones moved from their know origins some 200 miles away to this site and then stood on end by ancient people who had no known skills for such an undertaking. Theories abound and a quick search on line will yield several possible solutions.  One that I find plausible can be seen at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx5gSnfW4)


Today it is owned by the English Crown and maintained by the National Trust.This site gets a lot of visitors with one guide suggesting that over 1 million people visit each year.

This is the visitor center which contains a museum of  some of the artifacts sound at the site along with a food center, gift shop(what would a historic site be without its gift shop?) and perhaps most important toilets.

There is an outdoor exhibit showing what some think might be housing typical of the indigenous people some 2000-3000 years ago.  this is the interior of one of the huts. The fire pit in the center would bother me since the roofs of these is made of thatch (dried reed like vegetation)

photo proof of visitation.

These are our friends Reuben and Gemma who provided us with transport from Porthtowan to London.  I am certain they drove considerably out of the way to insure that we would visit Stonehenge.  Special thanks to them for this experience.

traditional view of stones.

The builders were very intelligent and included in their design tabs as seen here to hold in place the large rocks laid across the uprights.  An interesting sidelight is the crow.  Crows or Ravens were absent from Stonehenge for about 300 years and have only recently returned. The Druids and other pagans who hold this site sacred believe this is an omen of bad tidings. 

there is good signage to help the visitors understand the history and importance of this site.

These rocks are very picturesque and nature was very cooperative with clouds and blue sky for our visit.

a view I like

At the visitor site there is this replica of one of the stones set to provide one theory on how they were moved.