![]() ![]() The name “Stonehenge” comes from Saxon linguistic roots: ‘stone’ and ‘henge’ or ‘hang.’ Literally this meant a place of hanging stones, or a place with uprights and lintels linking them.Ī visit to Stonehenge brings one to an entire complex of megalithic monuments. Nearly half of the original megaliths are either missing entirely or hidden under the turf in broken pieces. Most of the sarsen uprights are now encased in concrete foundations, having been straightened (when leaning and in danger of falling) or re-erected from their fallen position on the ground. From there the magician Merlin worked his art and transported them to Salisbury Plain.įor most of its lifespan, Stonehenge has been in a state of ongoing deterioration only in the past century have public efforts been focused on preservation and conservation. Another says that the bluestones of Stonehenge originated in Africa but were brought to Ireland by giants in the distant past. One legend asserts that when water comes into contact with the stones it acquires healing powers. The folklore surrounding Stonehenge is rich and varied. At the same time, he and other archaeologists acknowledge that the site’s axis does have a relationship to significant solar and lunar cycles, and that the builders of the henges paid attention to the symbolism of celestial phenomena Moreover, he disputes that the site was used to predict eclipses, meteor showers, or that it functioned as a prehistoric observatory or computer. Newham, Gerald Hawkins, and Fred Hoyle, most archaeologists are in tacit agreement with archaeologist Clive Ruggles who asserts there is no persuasive evidence that the builders of Stonehenge incorporated precise astronomical alignments into their building plan. As for the many astronomical interpretations of the stone circle, including those made popular by C. As things stand in the present moment, Stonehenge is caught in a thicket of contending astronomical and archaeological interpretations, ranging from the plausible-a site for ancestor rites celebrated on the solstices-to the fantastic-a healing center built by colonists from Atlantis. Each generation creates its own vision and representation of Stonehenge, and these visions often tell us more about the viewers and thinkers than about the place itself. ![]() Because Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument, most of what we think we know about it (which is very little) comes from new archaeological discoveries and changing intellectual fashions in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, history, and religious studies. Stonehenge has been interpreted in many ways throughout the centuries: for example, as the foremost symbol of Britain’s prehistoric past as evidence for a sophisticated lost civilization as proof of human contact with an extraterrestrial race of aliens and as the site where a traditional way of life fought to maintain itself against new societal visions. Thanks to an agreement between English Heritage, archaeologists, Pagans, Druidic orders, New Age Travelers, tourists, and revelers, it is now possible for thousands to walk amidst the stones from dusk till dawn on the summer solstice and witness sunrise over the great megalithic “Heel Stone” on the northeast horizon. For generations, this assemblage of standing stones and lintels has fascinated, perplexed, and drawn millions of visitors each year. Stonehenge is the most famous megalithic site in the world.
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