The mystery and history of Stonehenge. Unsolved mysteries of Stonehenge. How to get to the ancient stones
Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious monuments of ancient history. Built about 5,000 years ago on a sacred site that took 10,000 years to develop and change, it still attracts tourists and scientists from all over the world. How and why was it built? What is this building a part of? Let's try to answer this question.
ice or water
Stonehenge is a massive stone monument located on a shallow plain north of the modern city of Salisbury in England. Research indicates that the structure was built approximately 5,000 to 4,000 years ago as part of a large sacred landscape that included a massive stone monument 15 times the size of Stonehenge.
The monument consists of two types of stones. The largest, known as "sarsen", reach a height of 9 meters and weigh about 25 tons. Historians believe that they were brought from the Marlborough Downs quarries, which are located 32 km to the north. Smaller stones are called "blue stones" due to their bluish tint when it rains. They weigh "only" up to 4 tons. They were imported, most likely from several different places in west Wales, up to 225 km from the construction site.
It is still unknown how ancient people managed to move them so far. Recent experiments show that a one-tonne stone can be dragged by a dozen people using wooden decks, but it is not clear whether the ancient builders used this method. Another version is water rafting. Finally, there is speculation that during the last ice age, glaciers moved these bluestones closer to the site where Stonehenge was built, so they simply didn't have to be transported that far.
Observatory, cemetery or altar
Nobody knows exactly why people built Stonehenge. However, the design clearly took into account the location relative to sunset and sunrise on the summer solstice and was only part of a huge structure that included stone and wooden buildings, as well as burials.
In addition, the Salisbury Plain itself was considered sacred by the ancient inhabitants long before the construction of Stonehenge. More than 10,000 years ago, three large wooden poles were erected at this place, which were totem poles.
For the locals of that period, hunting played an important role. Researchers found approximately 350 animal bones and 12,500 flint tools or fragments just a mile from Stonehenge. All finds are dated from 7500 to 4700 BC. Apparently, these places were rich hunting grounds, which may also have influenced the fact that the plain was considered sacred.
Also, dozens of burial mounds were found near Stonehenge, indicating that in ancient times hundreds, if not thousands of people, at least 17 temples were buried there, and recently a whole "House of the Dead", which dates back to 3700-3500 BC.
Labor unites
Some of those who built Stonehenge may have lived near the monument in houses discovered by archaeologists. Judging by the findings of scientists, these people ate meat and dairy products and, most likely, were not slaves. That is, the construction was carried out by free people at will.
One of the theories about Stonehenge is that the construction became a symbol of "British Unity" as people across the island worked together. This may explain how they were able to move the bluestones all the way to west Wales and how workers and resources were mobilized for the construction: such work would unite the different tribes, giving them a sense of community and belonging to a great cause.
The world-famous landmark of England - Stonehenge, is an ancient structure of stone blocks surrounded by a series of earthen ditches. This stone megalithic structure is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the iconic Avebury site and related monuments.
This archaeological site, which constantly attracts tourists, is located in the southwest of Wiltshire, England. .
Until now, historians and researchers are trying to unravel the purpose of this structure, but they have not come to a consensus.
What does Stonehenge look like?
Externally, Stonehenge is a boulders, ditches and pits, arranged in a certain way. What this structure looked like during its use, scientists and archaeologists from all over the world can only guess.
Among the stone blocks, triliths and megaliths stand out, menhirs are free-standing stones made of gray limestone sandstone. Some of the smaller stones have a bluish tint and are siliceous sandstone.
It is believed that the monument is a cromlech - concentric circles of roughly processed stone blocks. True, at present, only a few fragments remain of the circles, which allow scientists to guess what the structure was like before. For example, the following computer reconstruction of Stonehenge was created.
The outer circle previously consisted of 30 vertical greyish stones over 4 meters high and over 2 meters wide. The weight of one such block is about 25 tons. Horizontal blocks over 3 meters long, about a meter thick and wide were laid on top of these stone slabs.
The design was quite strong, because. protrusions were made specially on vertical supports, and grooves for them on horizontal plates. Now only 13 vertical slabs and 6 horizontal ceilings remain. The diameter of the outer circle was 33 meters.
Inside this circle was a circle of 30 bluish stones, of which no more than 10 now remain. These stones did not have horizontal overlaps and were smaller in size than the blocks of the outer circle.
Inside the complex were 5 triliths arranged in the shape of a horseshoe. The trilith consisted of two vertical stones and a horizontal ceiling laid on top. The sizes of triliths were different. The base of the horseshoe, formed by the triliths, was directed towards the avenue, a parallel pair of ditches directed towards the River Avon. Inside the triliths, also in the shape of a horseshoe, there were bluish stones.
Almost in the center of the circle was a vertical altar stone weighing about 6 tons, standing opposite the central trilith. Now the altar stone is in a horizontal position.
Pits were found around the stone structure, which are located in two circles of 30 holes of different diameters each (inner circle - holes Z, outer circle - holes Y). It is believed that these wooden pits were previously occupied by tall wooden poles.
The third outer circle consists of 56 holes, which bear the name of the person who discovered them - Aubrey holes. At the intersection of the Aubrey holes there are two mounds in which no burials have been found. Also on the path of the Aubrey holes are 2 supporting stones, of which there were 4 in the 19th century, and they clearly indicated the cardinal points.
Of interest are two more stones located opposite each other. The first is a scaffold stone, located opposite the alley and is a horizontal monolith about 5 meters long. The second is the heel stone, located on the alley itself and is a vertical block 6 meters high.
In more detail, the device of Stonehenge and the stone blocks remaining to this day can be seen on the plans.
Stonehenge theories
There are many theories about the purpose of Stonehenge. Scientists have calculated that it would take about 20 centuries.
Probably, such an incredible effort, affecting so much time, had to pursue a grandiose goal.
One of the versions of the appearance of Stonehenge is the activity of Merlin, who is considered the wizard and mentor of King Arthur. It is believed that he transferred a huge construction to the meadows of England from the Dnieper rapids. Stonehenge in this theory was associated with the round table of King Arthur. Differences in the shape and size of the stones meant the individuality of each member of the round table.
In another theory, the stones of Stonehenge were considered as a sanctuary of the Druids. In a sacred place, they gathered for creativity, exchange of information and competition in their own talents.
Other researchers considered Stonehenge to be the burial place of the pagan Queen Boudicca, who, after the death of her husband, led the Iceni tribe. In the war against the Roman Empire, the prices fell, and Boudica, who did not want to surrender, was poisoned. In honor of her, this building was erected. True, none of these theories was confirmed by scientists: using the radiocarbon method, it was proved that the construction of Stonehenge dates back to 3500 BC, when the described events did not exist yet. Stonehenge ceased to be used around 1100 BC.
Sometimes they consider a version about the place of mass burial of people on the territory of Stonehenge, but this version is not confirmed. On the territory of Stonehenge, only once were the remains of a man killed with a bow found.
There is a widespread theory that Stonehenge is an astronomical observatory of ancient people. J. Hawkins is considered the main researcher of this theory. But the choice of a place for the observatory remains unclear. Usually they were located on hills, the same object is located on the slope of a gentle hill.
Stonehenge can be a place of power, i.e. some power generator. Indeed, many call the territory of Stonehenge an anomalous zone, where processes and phenomena incomprehensible to science are happening. But there is no evidence for this theory, and it is unlikely that they will ever appear.
How to get to Stonehenge?
The distance to the monument from London is 140 km. The nearest cities to Stonehenge are Amesbury and Salisbury. The famous building is located 3 km from Amesbury and 13 km from Salisbury.
You can get to the place from Waterloo railway station by train to Salisbury, and then by local bus, which runs regularly to Stonehenge, or by taxi. Alternatively, you can rent a car and drive yourself.
Going to England, be sure to include Stonehenge in your list of places to visit. Perhaps it is you who will be able to get closer to unraveling the mystery of this famous structure.
Stonehenge is visited by 1 million tourists every year, but it remains a mystery. Scientists attribute its construction to Neolithic times, but for some reason the first mention of this "wonder of the world" is found only in the 11th century AD.
Who built?
Version number 1. Celts
For a long time, scientists believed that Stonehenge was built by the Celts. However, today this version has been refuted. The dates don't match. The first Celtic archaeological culture (Hallstatt) appeared in the 9th century BC. Whereas the dating of the construction of Stonehenge officially accepted today boils down to the fact that the last stage of its construction falls on the 11th century BC.
Version number 2. Ancient Britons
If not the Celts, then who? Professor Michael Pearson (University of Sheffield), head of the decade-long Stonehenge Riverside Project and author of Stonehenge: Exploring the Stone Age's Greatest Mystery, claims that the megalithic complex was built by the ancient Britons, representatives of the tribes that lived in the British Isles at the end of the Bronze Age, during the Neolithic . Today it is the most "working" version.
Version number 3. Merlin
In the Middle Ages, the legend set forth in Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Britons" was popular. It lies in the fact that the megalithic complex was transferred from Ireland by the wizard Merlin. The legendary magician thus fulfilled the will of Aurelius Ambrosi (uncle of King Arthur) to perpetuate 460 British leaders who were treacherously killed by the Saxons during the negotiations. Since then, the Britons called this complex "Dance of the Giants".
Version number 4. Hoaxers
There is also a version that Stonehenge is a hoax, "worked out" in the 20th century. In 2013, an article went viral on the Internet proving that the famous Bronze Age monolith was built between 1954 and 1958.
As evidence, the author of the material cites a lot of "sensational" photographic materials, where some people use cranes to install megaliths into the ground. A theoretical "base" is also given: allegedly, the British Ministry of Defense bought up land in the Stonehenge area and conducted military exercises there until the Second World War.
During the war, the territories of nearby villages were evicted and supposedly today are under the authority of military structures. The author writes: “On the territory protected by the British military department, this “center of ancient civilization”, “the legacy of great ancestors”, “monument of humanity”, which became the most important cult center of no less purposefully planted “spirituality” was consciously and purposefully erected.
Version "hot", but baseless. What is presented in it as the construction of Stonehenge is just its restoration. We will tell you more about her.
Why did you build?
Version number 1. Observatory
To date, the generally accepted version is that Stonehenge is an ancient observatory. The authorship of this version belongs to Boston University astronomy professor Gerald Hawkins. In the late 1950s, he entered into a computer the coordinates of the plates and other parameters of Stonehenge, as well as a model of the movement of the Sun and Moon.
In 1965, the scientist wrote the book Stonehenge Deciphered, where he provided evidence that Stonehenge made it possible to predict astronomical phenomena, while being an observatory, a computing center and a calendar..
Another famous astronomer, Fred Hoyle, also dealt with the problem of Stonehenge and found that the builders of the megalithic complex knew the exact orbital period of the moon and the length of the solar year.
Version number 2. Galaxy model
In 1998, astronomers recreated a computer model of the original appearance of Stonehenge and came to the conclusion that the stone observatory is also a cross-sectional model of the solar system. According to the ideas of the ancients, the solar system consists of twelve planets, two of which are located beyond the orbit of Pluto, and one more - between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Version number 3. Ritual complex
A four-year study conducted by the Austrian Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Exploration and Virtual Archeology has established that Stonehenge is not a single megalith, but part of a huge ritual complex of 18 parts located in an area of 12 square kilometers from Stonehenge.
Surveys were carried out using remote sensing and other advanced geophysical methods.
Version number 3. "Disco"
Perhaps the most original version of the purpose of Stonehenge (if you do not take into account the alien base for humanoids) is the version that Stonehenge is an ancient "disco".
Professor Rupert Till, an expert in acoustics and music technology from the University of Huddersfield, conducted research and came to the conclusion that the gigantic stones of the complex are ideal sound reflectors. If placed in a certain order, they can produce interesting acoustic effects.
Of course, Rupert Till did his experiments (after computer simulation) not in England, but in the state of Washington, where there is an exact copy of the megalithic complex. This version, although it seems strange, does not exclude the previous one - ritual dances could be held at the temple to the accompaniment of musical instruments.
How was it built?
To shed light on how Stonehenge was built, scientists have helped the study of the materials of which it is composed. The complex is composed of three types of stones:
1) Dolerite ("blue" stone, more precisely, gray sandstone with a bluish tinge)
2) Rhyolite
3) Volcanic tuff.
Stones of these rocks are found only in the mountains of Wales (210 km from Stonehenge, and taking into account the features of the relief - 380 km).
According to Stonehenge researcher Richard Atkinson, the stones were carried on wooden sledges over logs. Experiments have shown that 24 people can move a load of one ton in this way at a speed of one and a half kilometers a day.
Most of the journey was on water. The speed of movement was also facilitated by the fact that the stones were processed even before they were moved into place, using both stone tools and heat treatment for this.
According to Gerald Hawkins, to install the blocks, they first dug a pit to size, three of which were vertical, and one with a 45-degree angle, which was used as a receiving ramp.
Before setting the stone, the walls of the pit were lined with wooden stakes. Thanks to them, the stone slid down without showering the ground. The lower parts of the blocks, upholstered in the form of a blunt cone, could be rotated on their axis even after the earth had been rammed.
What's left of Stonehenge?
If you look at the picture of John Consable, written by him from life on the territory of Stonehenge in 1835, we will see piles of piled stones. This is how the legendary megalithic complex looked until the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, as we know, he has changed. Not everyone knows about it, but Stonehenge has undergone a serious and lengthy restoration.
Its first stage took place in 1901. Reconstruction continued until 1964, and information about the work was carefully concealed. When it became known to the general public, it gave rise to numerous attacks from the public and the press. There was something to be angry about. In fact, the complex was rebuilt. With the help of cranes, the restorers erected megaliths and lintels, strengthened the stones, and concreted their foundations.
By and large, Stonehenge is "no longer the same", but it is not customary to mention this in booklets. Otherwise, this most famous (but far from unique) megalithic complex would not provide an influx of 1 million thousand tourists a year.
Photo source: id.wikipedia.org
Just 130 km from the capital of Great Britain, the oldest building is located, the reason for the construction of which cannot be named until now. Stonehenge is still shrouded in secrets and mystical mysteries, attracting not only curious tourists, but also paleontologists, historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and many other scientists.
Giant stone giants have been guarding Stonehenge for more than 5 millennia, strictly guarding in secret the true reason for the creation of this peculiar monument of antiquity. Located in the middle of the Salisbury chalk plateau, the structure of huge stone blocks covers an area of 107 square meters. km and is located in the middle of a swampy area near the Devonshire hills. The unsolved mysteries of ancient Stonehenge give reason to call it the eighth wonder of the world. No wonder Stonehenge is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Origin of the word Stonehenge
Like the building itself, the word "Stonehenge" has an ancient origin. It is believed that it comes from the phrase of the Old English words "stan" and "hencg", which translates as a stone rod. In fact, the upper stones are fixed on huge boulders in the form of rods. There is an assumption that the word "Stonehenge" has in its structure the Old English "hencen", which means "gallows" in translation, since stone structures made of two vertical blocks and a horizontal slab lying on them resemble medieval gallows.
These statues, reminiscent of medieval execution tools, were called triliths, which in Greek means three stones. There are five such triliths weighing 50 tons. In addition to huge triliths, 30 stone blocks weighing 25 tons each and 82 five-ton megaliths were used in the creation of Stonehenge - large fragments of rocks that were used in ancient times for the construction of structures with religious purposes.
grand building
The stone monoliths of Stonehenge are laid out around the perimeter of a large circle. On top of these blocks are huge stone slabs. Inside the circle there are larger blocks of stone and covered with larger slabs, which are arranged in the form of a horseshoe. In the inner part of this peculiar horseshoe, there are blue stones that form a smaller horseshoe.
Averubi and Silbury Hill
During the study of Stonehenge, even more ancient structures were discovered nearby - a huge circle laid out with the help of stone vertical slabs - Averubi and Silbury Hill - a cone-shaped man-made mound reaching a height of 45 m. When studying these structures, they came to an interesting conclusion that they are all connected between themselves, forming a whole. Scientists made such a conclusion on the basis of the fact that between Stonehenge, Averubi and Silbury Hill the distance is 20 km, and they themselves are located so that they are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle.
Mysteries of Stonehenge
None of the scientists can definitely say for what purpose and how exactly this stone structure was erected. It remains a mystery how, several centuries before the victory over Troy, multi-ton blocks were delivered to the site of the construction of Stonehenge, if the distance to the nearest rocks is 350 km. Even using modern construction equipment, it is not at all easy to deliver a stone block weighing 25 tons to such a distance, but it is impossible to understand how this was achieved in the 2nd millennium BC.
Trying to somehow explain the reason for the appearance of stone monoliths on a swampy plain, people composed legends and tales. According to one of them, the powerful sorcerer Merlin brought legendary giants here by air to heal their wounds here. The British call Stonehenge "the dance of the giants". Indeed, the stones arranged in a circle are associated with a round dance of giants holding hands.
Another mystery of Stonehenge concerns the construction of a megalith over the crossing points of underground rivers. Under Stonehenge there are huge reserves of groundwater. Their presence can be explained by the location of the stone structure in a swampy area, but how to explain how the ancient people managed to accurately position the megalith remains a mystery.
The construction of Stonehenge lasted about 2000 years. Recently, archaeologists have found on the territory of this stone structure evidence of ancient wooden monumental buildings that were erected here 8000 years ago.
cult place
Later, on the territory of Stonehenge, two earthen ramparts were formed in the form of a circle with a diameter of about 115 meters, separated by a deep moat dug by deer antlers. During excavations in some areas of the moat, bones of large animals were found, and in some places the remains of burnt corpses. Based on the conducted research, we came to the conclusion that this place was a cult and sacrifices were made here. Many hundreds of years after the final construction of Stonehenge, it began to be used as a cemetery for cremated remains.
Stonehenge stones
Inside the moat are blue stones, which were laid much later, around 1800 BC. e. Experts have established that these huge blocks were brought here from deposits located in different places, and moved from one place to another repeatedly. How it was possible without modern technology is hard to imagine. Outside the circle is a huge monolith called the heel of the fleeing monk. On the opposite side of the shafts, opposite the "Heel" stone, there is a "Stone block" inside.
Despite its name, the stone has nothing to do with sacrifices. Being exposed to external natural factors, weathering products appeared on the stone - iron oxides, which have a blood-red color. These "bloody" spots gave the stone its name.
In the center of Stonehenge, a block of green sandstone weighing about 6 tons was installed, which served as an altar.
The largest reconstruction of Stonehenge took place at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. Huge stone blocks were delivered to the construction area from the southern hills located at a distance of 40 km from the construction site. Even such an insignificant distance by today's standards is difficult to overcome in modern conditions in order to transport 30 huge stone blocks. What can we say about the delivery of stone blocks at the end of the III millennium BC? The results of that ancient reconstruction have survived to this day in almost unchanged form.
purpose
Scientists all over the world are lost in conjectures about the purpose of Stonehenge. There are a number of assumptions and versions on this account. Some consider the gigantic building an ancient observatory, others argue that the Druids performed their religious rites here. It is believed that Stonehenge was built as a landing site for alien ships, and adherents of the existence of parallel dimensions are sure that a portal to other worlds opens here.
Some 5,000-year-old rock carvings discovered 14 km from Addis Ababa allegedly contain images similar to stone blocks of Stonehenge. In one of these ancient drawings above the center of a stone statue, the image resembles a spaceship taking off.
Paranormal activity
Paranormal researchers claim that amazing things happen near the complex. Once, during a tour of Stonehenge, the boy accidentally touched one of the stones with a piece of curved wire and fell unconscious. After this incident, the child could not recover for a long time and lost the ability to move his arms and legs for a whole six months.
While photographing Stonehenge in 1958, the photographer observed rising pillars of light above huge boulders. And in 1968, one of the eyewitnesses said that he saw a fiery ring emanating from the stones of Stonehenge, in which there was a bright luminous object. In 1977, eyewitnesses managed to film a UFO squadron over a megalith on a video camera, and this video was shown on all British television channels. It is interesting that during the observation of unidentified objects, the eyewitnesses' compass broke and the portable TV failed.
In the Stonehenge area, scientists have repeatedly heard clicking sounds and a strange buzz of unknown origin. Many scientists claim that the reason for such phenomena lies in the strong magnetic field that spreads around Stonehenge. Surprisingly, the compass needle, which should point south, always turns towards the center of the megalith, no matter which side of the structure you stop on. It is difficult to explain another strange phenomenon. If you knock on one of the stones in a certain way, then the sound will spread to all the stones, although they are not connected to each other.
Versions of scientists
The English architect of the 17th century Inigo Jones, studying the structure, came to the conclusion that the structure of Stonehenge resembles the architecture of ancient times and suggested that these were the ruins of an ancient Roman temple. Another version indicates that the pagan queen Boadicea, who fought with the Romans, was buried on the territory of Stonehenge. In this regard, there is an opinion that the leaders of the ancient tribes were also buried in Stonehenge.
Later, scientists suggested that Stonehenge was erected in order to accurately predict the time of lunar and solar eclipses, as well as the dates for the start of field work. The proof is the fact that on the day of the summer solstice during sunrise, its beam passes exactly in the middle of this stone structure. However, this version was denied by skeptics, who argue that it was hardly justified to invest so much effort and money to make sure that the ordinary calendar and the change of seasons existed.
According to many scholars, Stonehenge was a place of pilgrimage and healing. An analysis of human bones found in burial places on the territory of stone structures showed that the people buried here suffered from serious diseases. Warriors wounded in battles, crippled and hopelessly ill, rushed to the blue stones of Stonehenge, hoping to get healed here. Many, without waiting for recovery, died and were buried here.
Greetings to regular readers and site visitors! Friends, many people ask the question: where is Stonehenge, in what country? I wanted to answer this question and tell you everything I know about this place.
Sometime in my youth, I first saw Stonehenge in a picture. Mysterious stones intrigued me. “I wish I could see them for real,” I thought then. And when my travels began, seeing Stonehenge became my dream. And my dream came true! The main thing is to really want! Everything is possible guys!
The dream of seeing Stonehenge has come true! The main thing is to really want! Everything is possible!
By the way, US President Obama said that visiting the famous monument was on the list of what he wants to accomplish in his life. On September 6, 2014, his dream came true.
What is Stonehenge
When I first learned where Stonehenge was, I was surprised. In my understanding, these stones could be located anywhere, but not in Europe. But this stone monument is located in Europe, in Wiltshire, 130 km from!
Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious structures on the planet. Stonehenge means "dancing stones" in the language of the ancient Celts. The oldest monument is located in the Salisbury Valley, UK.
Even at the stage of the birth of civilizations, people built grandiose structures, which later became famous throughout the world. Among them is Stonehenge, known as a stone mystery, in the very center of Europe.
Its age is comparable to the age of the Egyptian pyramids. But to this day, the interest of historians and astronomers in this amazing monument of antiquity has not weakened. Various hypotheses and versions of its origin and purpose are put forward.
History of Stonehenge
Today, Stonehenge researchers agree that the time of its construction fell on the period between 3500 and 1600 years. BC. The complex was built in several stages, with breaks between them in 2-3 centuries.
Stonehenge. View from above
According to legend, Stonehenge was built by Merlin, the all-powerful magician in the court of King Arthur. In one night, he moved blocks of stone from southwestern Wales, famous for its sacred springs.
For a long period, the Celts were considered the builders of the stone circle. Then this version was refuted, believing that the Celts could not erect such a structure. Then they put forward a hypothesis that this was the construction of the ancient Romans.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that Stonehenge was created by the Swiss or the Germans. With all the diversity of opinions regarding its origin, one thing is clear - only a highly developed civilization was capable of this.
Mysterious stones are a complex of huge vertically standing stone blocks that form several circles. The total weight of the structure is 82 stones weighing 5 tons each, 30 stones of 25 tons and 5 triliths of 50 tons each.
"Heel Stone"
Triliths located in the center (a pair of vertical stones, overlapped on top by a third one) form arches that accurately point to each of the cardinal directions. At the entrance to the complex there is a huge, 6-meter "Heel Stone" - it is above it that the sunrise is visible on the day of the summer solstice.
"Heel stone" weighing approximately 35 tons
It was established that part of the material for the construction of the complex was delivered from quarries located at a distance of up to 300 kilometers from the construction site. The heaviest stones were transported from the nearest place, 30 km away.
The results of specially conducted experiments showed that it would take a group of 24 people a day to drag a stone weighing a ton over a distance of 1 kilometer. It took ancient builders several years to deliver such huge blocks. According to scientists, the ancient monument was built by thousands of people over 300 years.
Like many ancient structures, Stonehenge is resistant to seismic activity. According to research, during its construction, special platforms were used to dampen or smooth out tremors. Also, the structure is practically not susceptible to “soil shrinkage”.
Mysteries of Stonehenge
What prompted the ancient people to make so much effort to process and transport huge boulders and arrange them in a strictly established order? To date, many hypotheses have been put forward about the purpose of the intricate design.
The most common among them is astronomical. After a 1998 computer reconstruction of the ruins, further evidence emerged that the complex was a gigantic ancient observatory.
Tourists are not allowed close to the stones. Tight rope fence installed
It turned out that the building is an exact model of the solar system, however, consisting not of 9, but of 12 planets. This model is consistent with the ideas of other ancient civilizations (Sumerians, Egyptians) and confirms the latest astronomical hypotheses.
The builders of the stone monolith possessed incredible knowledge at that time. They knew exactly the orbital period of the moon and the length of the solar year.
For ancient astronomers, huge triliths served as astronomical instruments. On the day of the winter solstice, the rising Sun is clearly visible through one of the triliths. And through the other two, you can view the sunsets of celestial bodies.
According to one version, Stonehenge was built to predict eclipses and to determine the dates for the start of agricultural work.
In addition to astronomical, there are other theories. Some scientists believe that the building served as a temple of the ancient Celtic Druids who worshiped the Sun.
Other adherents of the temple version claim that the circle of stones was built by the Romans in honor of one of the gods of the Pantheon.
Some researchers, citing the burials found here as evidence, put forward the version of the royal tomb or the burial place of local leaders.
English historians also suggest that Stonehenge served as an ancient sanatorium. Belief in the supernatural power of the blue cobblestones brought the sick and wounded from the surrounding villages here.
Other hypotheses
Material confirmation of the version was the discovery under the complex of the remains of people with traces of long-term injuries. Modern residents of Wiltshire and Wales today pass on stories about the healing "blue dust" to their children and grandchildren.
There is also a hypothesis that geometry was studied in the circle of stones. The complex has the shape of a 56-sided polygon. This is the most complex geometric figure that can be built from a circle and a square using only a rope.
Ancient builders built the structure for centuries and remodeled it several times to achieve the correct shape.
More incredible hypotheses are also popular - that aliens built Stonehenge.
Supporters of these versions point to the fact that people who lived in the Neolithic era could not have known the exact dimensions of the Earth, the Moon and other planets, which were reflected in the arrangement of giant boulders.
There are also versions that the circle of stones is a gate to another dimension or a message from other worlds.
The British called the mystical structure the "Dance of the Giants" - the stones arranged in a circle resemble giants holding hands, circling in a round dance.
Even today, being heavily damaged, Stonehenge is impressive. It can be called the eighth wonder of the world.
The mystery of the ancient monument has not yet been solved. Only one thing is known for certain: its builders, whoever they were, had outstanding knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and architecture.
Where is Stonehenge (video)
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