Created by Teplyh Ekaterina and Shamshurina MariyaLMAs - 104

Etymology How Stonehenge was built Function and construction Modern history

The word “Stonehenge” is not so old. There are some versions of its origin.

It may be formed from Old English “stan” ( that means “stone”) and “hencg” ( “rod” – because top stones were fixed on the rods)or “hencen” ( “gallows” or “torture instrument”

The making of Stonehenge took 2000 years. The builders dug two ranges of deep wells in form of crescent, which was turned to the northeast . 80 “blue stones” were brought from rocks which is called “Karn Menin”. Each stone was 2 m high, 1,5 m width. Their weight was 4-5.

In the center of Stonehenge was stood monolith also known as “Altar”. The northeastern entry was in front of sunrise in the day of solstice. The building was not finished on this phase. The “blue stones” were removed and wells were filled up.

In the end of third millennium BC, Stonehenge was rebuilt due to which it became so popular in our days. From hills of south England were brought 30 big blocks. And of them were weighed 25 tons.

Proposed functions for the site include usage as an astronomical observatory, or as a religious site. Professor Mike Parker Pearson, head of the Stonehenge Riverside Project, has suggested that Stonehenge was part of a ritual landscape and was joined to Durrington Walls by their corresponding avenues and the River Avon. He suggests that the area around Durrington Walls Henge was a place of the living, whilst Stonehenge was a domain of the dead. A journey along the Avon to reach Stonehenge was part of a ritual passage from life to death, to celebrate past ancestors and the recently deceased. Mical observatory, or as a religious site.

In April 2008 Professor Tim Darvill of the University of Bournemouth and Professor Geoff Wainwright of the Society of Antiquaries, began to dig inside the Stone circle to retrieve dateable fragments of the original bluestone pillars. They were able to date the erection of some bluestones to 2300BC,although this may not reflect the earliest erection of stones at Stonehenge. They also discovered organic material from 7000 BC, which, along with the Mesolithic postholes, adds support for the site having been in use at least 4000 years before Stonehenge was started.

In July 2010 the Stonehenge New Landscapes Project discovered what appears to be a new henge less than 1 kilometre away from the main site.