Stonehenge

Stonehenge is the best known magalithic stone circle in the world. Located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England - roughly 80 miles/130 kilometers West South West of London. Stonehenge was constructed in three or four stages between 3000 BC and 1500 BC.

Stonehenge itself consists of two nested circles around two nested semi-circles. There is a large outer circle of thirty sandstone blocks called the sarsen stones. The tall sarsen stones are almost 14 feet high. A continuous circle of thirty stones called lentils run across the top of the sarsen stones. The circle of lentils is held on top of the sarsens by mortices, tenons, and toggle joints. The outer circle is approximately 98 feet in diameter. Inside the sarsen stones is a circle of thirty much smaller bluestones.

Inside the sarsens and bluestone circles are two smaller semicircles. The first is of tall sandstone, the second shorter bluestone. Inside the semicircles is a large sandstone block called the Altar Stone. A final stone called the Heel Stone lies eighty yards east of the Altar Stone.

Stonehenge is oriented to mark the sunrise and moonrise at the summer and winter solstices. At sunset of the Summer Solstice the Heel Stone will cast a shadow on the Altar Stone. The exact usage beyond that are uncertain. As different groups have altered the site the uses have most certainly changed somewhat. A common misconception is that Stonehenge was built by Druids. Druids were not around until long after Stonehenge was constructed, making their involvement in it's construction very unlikely.

There are many copies of Stonehenge around the World. In Kerrville, Texas you can see Stonehenge II, a smaller replica of Stonehenge. In Alliance, Nebraska you can see Carhenge - Stonehenge made entirely of old cars.

Links

the English Heritage Stonehenge page

the Wikipedia Stonehenge Entry

the official Carhenge site