Stonehenge

Stonehenge, one of the world's most famous megaliths, is located above a chalky plain about 8 km North of Salisbury, UK.  It has been drawing people towards it for around 5000 years, and to this day remains an enigmatic mystery because the questions of how it was constructed, who built and transported the heavy stones, why they built it (functions) remain unanswered, where the theories are only ranged and debated. A lot of the mystery and inherent wonderment associated with Stonehenge stems from the fact that the stones are so shrouded in mystery, this only being amplified by its age.  The very fact that the stones survived for so long arouses curiosity highlighting the speciality of these stones. The construction of Stonehenge started in the Neolithic period, in three stages, starting from approximately 3,100 BC, over a 2,000 year period until around 1,400 BC.  It is also known that Stonehenge was built, and rebuilt by three separate civilizations of people. Stonehenge consists of an outer circle, within which there is another circle of stones in the shape of a horseshoe. Towards the centre of the circled area, are pillared constructions consisting of two upright stones, and one stone placed horizontally on top of them.  These are known as trilithons.  At first glance, it would seem that the entire area is composed of rocks, but venturing outwards, it becomes clear that there is a ditch and bank that surrounds the entire area.  There is also a path that goes from the monument towards the River Avon a few kilometres away. These detailed constructions together constitute the enigmatic Stonehenge. Many theories behind the construction of Stonehenge have been circulating throughout the years. One of which; John Aubrey (England’s first archaeologist and an author) incorrectly implicated the Druid civilisation to the building of Stonehenge.  This was because the Druid society happened to worship at Stonehenge.  However, the inaccuracy in this was that the Druids came about around 1000 years after the monument had been built.   Currently, the most accepted theory regarding the construction is that the first civilisation to commence the building may have been the secondary Neolithic people, just after 3000 BC. Next in continuation of the construction process would have been the "Beaker People" named after their beaker-shaped drinking cups. The last phase, mainly stonework, is said to have been carried out by Wessex people. Recently, it has been widely agreed upon that Stonehenge has been built upon a ‘Ley Centre’, or a strong convergence of Ley Lines.  Ley lines are basically part of a large, interconnected 'network' of sacred points all over the Earth.  These spots are said to possess high energy or sanctity, depending upon one's interpretation.  Temples, churches and megalithic monuments are often built on such spots, where several Ley lines converge, and it is said that Stonehenge may be another spot possessing such high energies.  This combined with the rising of the Sun on summer solstice would have had a tremendous impact on the Neolithic's mind, prompting them to declare the area as sacred.  Arguments over this issue have resulted with some historians and archaeologists claiming that “Stonehenge, with its toppled stones and sad grandeur, is but the last in a series of sacred temples which changed drastically in both appearance and purpose over several thousand years. The original Stonehenge was a place of earth and timber- and rotting corpses.” An interesting factor of Stonehenge’s construction is the transportation of the tonne-weighing stones to the place they were built, a process which took place thousands of years ago. A legend of King Arthur provides a myth concerning the transportation of the stones. It is told by the twelfth century writer, Geoffrey of Monmouth, that Merlin (a wizard) brought the stones to the Salisbury Plain from Ireland. Sometime in the fifth century, there had been a massacre of 300 British noblemen by the treacherous Saxon leader, Hengest. Geoffrey tells that the high king, Aurelius Ambrosius, wanted to create a fitting memorial to the slain men. Merlin suggested an expedition to Ireland for the purpose of transplanting the Giant's Ring stone circle to Britain. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the stones of the Giant's Ring were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by giants. The stones were located on "Mount Killaraus" and were used as a site for performing rituals and for healing. Led by King Uther and Merlin, the expedition arrived at the spot in Ireland. The Britons, none of whom were giants, apparently, were unsuccessful in their attempts to move the great stones. At this point, Merlin realized that only his magic arts would turn the trick. So, they were dismantled and shipped back to Britain where they were set up as they had been before, in a great circle, around the mass grave of the murdered noblemen. This is only one of probably many legends that reflect the inability to explain how the heavy stones could have ever been transported by primitive humans. The functions of Stonehenge have also been a significant contribution to many theories and myths being put forward. One determined myth or theory that has taken hold in many debates is that the ancient temples and stone circles were used as astronomical observatories. This idea has been the core of many discussions and studies since the late 19th century, when archaeologists first recognized the way that Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain in England, was built to coincide with a number of seasonal astronomical events. It was claimed that Stonehenge is full of ‘sight lines’ between the stones to significant sunrises, sunsets, phases of the Moon and movement of the stars. Although, a judgement on this myth can be made that and most likely proved to be illogical. Another appealing theory is that of the Mother Earth, Father Sky. It has been very recently proposed and suggests that Stonehenge is a sexually symbolic site, with both male and female represented in stone. Hence the ongoing fertility myth could be that by a society’s annual mating God and Goddess guaranteed the success, the safety and the fertility of the people's uncertain world which was forever at risk from sterility, weather, disease and wild animals.  This myth proves the act of expressing in stone and light the concept of the Marriage of the Gods, a belief that was certainly widespread throughout the Ancient World in one form or another. However, this monument has overcome many societies, most who distinguishably used it for different reasons. Stonehenge has remained in use for a period of some 1,500 years. Though, it can be claimed that there is no particular function for this monument in modern days besides its availability for research, esp. Archaeological. Finally, it can be concluded that despite any research being completed relating to the ancient monument of Stonehenge, many other theories still link to it. These links include many theories concerning the construction and transportations of such stones, functions and many other factors which stem from this mystery. The theories are constantly being renewed with more evidence to support each idea put forward, but logical answers remain nowhere in sight.  Thus, it can be claimed that once in a while, a clue comes up that only adds to the mystery of Stonehenge.