Stonehenge

tonehenge is a prehistoric monument located inwards the English linguistic communication county of Wiltshire, virtually 2.0 miles (3.2 km) W of Amesbury together with 8 miles (13 km) due north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites inwards the world, Stonehenge is composed of excavation surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones.

Stonehenge at sunset

 It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic together with Bronze Age monuments inwards England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Stonehenge inwards the piece of cake afternoon

Archaeologists convey believed that the iconic rock monument was erected closed to 2500 BC, equally described inwards the chronology below. One recent theory however, has suggested that the foremost stones were non erected until 2400–2200 BC, whilst some other suggests that bluestones may convey been erected at the site equally early on equally 3000 BC (see stage 1 below).

Fisheye icon of Stonehenge showing the circular layout

The surrounding circular globe depository fiscal establishment together with ditch, which constitute the earliest stage of the monument, convey been dated to virtually 3100 BC. The site together with its environs were added to the UNESCO's listing of World Heritage Sites inwards 1986 inwards a co-listing amongst Avebury Henge monument. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned past times the Crown together with managed past times English linguistic communication Heritage, spell the surrounding province is owned past times the National Trust.

Graffiti on the sarsen stones. Below are ancient carvings of a dagger together with an axe

Archaeological testify constitute past times the Stonehenge Riverside Project inwards 2008 indicates that Stonehenge served equally a burial basis from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains constitute on the site betoken burials from equally early on equally 3000 BC, when the initial ditch together with depository fiscal establishment were foremost dug. Burials continued at Stonehenge for at to the lowest degree some other 500 years.

The Heelstone

Sunrise over Stonehenge on the summertime solstice



The monument from a like angle showing the extent of reconstruction