Stonehenge is a huge stone mystery in the heart of Europe. Where is Stonehenge located? Anyone can answer this question, because almost all people know about it.
The existing information about the megalith (about its origin and purpose) still does not provide an answer to the question of how people could design and build such a structure four thousand years ago. An ancient observatory, a landing site for alien creatures, a portal to another world or a pagan tomb - all this is Stonehenge (England). For many centuries, the best minds of mankind have been struggling with its solution. And much remains unknown ....
Stonehenge is also called cromlech - this is the oldest structure of vertical stones arranged in a circle. They can form one or more circles.
Where is Stonehenge
This is a structure in a field located 13 kilometers from the small village of Salisbury. “Stone Fencing” - this is the name Stonehenge. London is 130 kilometers southwest. The territory belongs to the Wiltshire administrative district. It consists of a circle around which 56 small funeral "holes of Aubrey" are located (named after a 17th century explorer). The most famous version is that lunar eclipses could be calculated from them. Later, cremated remains of people began to be buried in them. In Europe, a tree has always been associated with life, and a stone with death.
Stonehenge Building
In the center is the so-called altar (six-ton monolith of green sandstone). In the northeast - seven-meter Heel stone. There is also a block stone, named after the color of iron oxides protruding on it. The next two rings consist of large solid blocks of blue color (siliceous sandstone). The building is completed by a circular colonnade with horizontal plates lying on top.
In general, the construction consists of:
- 82 megaliths weighing 5 tons;
- 30 blocks, each of 25 tons;
- 5 trilites of 50 tons each.
All of them form arches with the most accurate indication of the cardinal points. The ancient British did not knowingly call this place "Round dance of the Giants."
Stonehenge Stones
The boulders that were used in the megalith have a different origin. Stone structures (trillites or megaliths) and individual rough stones (menhirs) are composed of limestone sandstone of gray color and limestone. Volcanic lava, tuff and dolerite are found. Part of the blocks could come from a site located 210 kilometers away. They could be delivered both by land (on skating rinks) and by water. In our time, an experiment was conducted that showed that a group of 24 people will be able to move a stone weighing one ton at a speed of one kilometer per day. The weight of the largest blocks reaches 50 tons. Ancient builders could transport a similar block for several years.
The stones were processed in several stages. By mechanical means and the method of exposure to fire and water, the necessary blocks were prepared for transportation. And already on the spot, finer grinding and processing were carried out.
Stonehenge - History and Legends of Antiquity
According to legend, megalith appeared thanks to the legendary wizard Merlin, the mentor of King Arthur. He carried some blocks of stone from South Wales, where there has long been a cluster of sacred sources. In fact, the road to the place where Stonehenge is located was very difficult. The nearest quarries with the rock are at a great distance, and you can imagine how titanic the efforts for the most difficult transportation were. The closest they were to be delivered by sea, and from there 80 kilometers by land dragged.
The huge Heel stone gave rise to another story - about a monk hiding from the devil in boulders. So that he did not have time to hide, the devil threw a stone at him and crushed his heel.
All of these traditions of ancient Britain, where Stonehenge is located , most likely have little to do with reality. Today, more detailed studies prove that the construction was carried out in three stages from 2300 to 1900 BC. It functioned for about 2,500 years and was abandoned around 1100 BC. And the characters of British history lived much later.
Who built Stonehenge
There are many nations claiming to build this megalith, from the ancient Romans to the Swiss or Germans. Until now, it was believed that it was built in the second millennium BC as an ancient observatory. The famous astronomer Hoyle found out that the ancient creators already knew the exact orbital period of the moon and the length of the solar year.
In 1998, computer simulation came to the aid of astronomers . With its help, they came to the conclusion that this is not only a lunar and solar calendar, but also a model of the solar system in cross section. Moreover, the planets should not be 9, as is currently known, but 12. Perhaps in the future we will still have discoveries related to the composition of the solar system.
The English historian Brooks, who has been exploring Stonehenge for many years, has proved that he is part of a gigantic navigation system.
In addition to its astronomical function, Stonehenge was also used as a ritual structure. This is evidenced by the large number of burial grounds and other ritual places in the vicinity. And some researchers put forward the theory of the tomb of the pagan Queen Queenica. This fearless woman did not want to surrender to the Romans and chose to take poison. Although there have never been graves of people in Stonehenge. For all time, only one remains of the archer were found in the moat, dated to the 7th century BC.
This land has always been considered sacred, because at all times, tourists and natives tried to break away and take a part with them as an amulet. One hundred years ago, local residents even had a kind of business - to rent hammers in order to beat off a piece for memory or to knock out their name on a boulder. Now a tourist cannot even touch a megalith with his hand, asphalt paths are specially laid at a certain distance from the stone blocks.
Shrine of the Druids
There is a hypothesis that this is the place of the power of the druids (at the intersection of energy lines), allowing them to carry out serious rituals in unity with the forces of nature. The orientation of the monument to the solstice is another argument in this favor. Since this isolated tribe did not leave any written evidence, the appointment of Stonehenge remained a great mystery.
New druids consider it a place of pilgrimage, and representatives of other pagan movements like to visit this area. In the days of the winter and summer solstices, huge crowds of Druid worshipers meet their main deity. The rays of the sun, which reached its zenith, fall exactly between the vertical stones of the largest trilith, and together with the sun's rays it finds inspiration on people. And it often happens that the weather is cloudy and the sun is shining inside.
Greatness of Stonehenge
Another feature of Stonehenge is its high seismic stability. During construction, special slabs were used to quench and soften the shocks. Moreover, there is almost no soil subsidence, inevitable in modern construction.
One thing is certain: no matter who the mysterious builders are, they possessed colossal knowledge in mathematics, geology, astronomy, and architecture. And if you take into account that such structures were built then around the world (the pyramids of Egypt and the Mayan culture), then we can safely say that modern people simply don’t know much about their past. It is estimated that if Stonehenge is rebuilt today with the tools of the time, it will take 2 million man-hours. And for the manual processing of stones would need 20 million. That is, the reason why people worked on it for so long should really be very significant.
How to get there Stonehenge on the map
By car, tourists get on the A303 and M3, which leads to Amesbury. Comfortable trains run to Waterloo from the station to Salisbury and Andover, and can be reached by bus from there.
In London, you can purchase a one-day group tour, which already includes an entrance ticket. The same bus runs from Salisbury, picking up tourists from the train station. The ticket can be used throughout the day, and buses leave every hour.
How to get to the center of Stonehenge, bypassing the bans?
According to the rules, it is forbidden to come close and walk inside Stonehenge (tourists should not be closer than 15 meters), but some tour operators make a relaxation and allow a walk, but only early in the morning or late in the evening. In such groups there is usually a limited number of participants, so it is advisable to reserve places in advance. In this case, the weather should be good. The historical monument is carefully guarded to avoid damage to the ground, so you will not be able to get into Stonehenge in the event of rain.
This building is not in vain listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Someone considers it to be a poorly preserved pile of stones, and someone wants to just touch it and strives for this all his life. Nevertheless, the mystical mystery of Stonehenge has always existed, and to this is added the worship of the power of the human mind and the stubbornness that made it possible to build this miracle.