Location
Wiltshire County, England, about 13 KM from Salisbury. We have to take local tourist bus to reach Stonehenge. Entry ticket is sold at bus itself and that is cheaper than if you purchase from counter.
How to reach
I started from Central London, caught a bus to reach Seven Sisters station, changed 2-3 subway, caught national Railway and reached the Salisbury railway Station. I came out and a Stonehenge local tour bus was standing which starts every one hour from railway station.
The bus ticket and entry pass of Stonehenge was included for 25 pound. The bus driver told that if we purchase ticket from Stonehenge counter it will cost 31 pounds. Its true also.
The bus gave us earphone and app Stonehenge app was inbuilt in bus seat itself. The bus took us to dream journey to fulfill a long long cherished wish of mine to see Stonehenge.
When it was built?
3100 BC (+- 500 years)
What I heard from people
There is nothing to see. Only stones are there that also not giant – may be equal to double story house. You have to walk about 3 KM. Its not worth. Not worth going with family. Transport is problem there. Once missed the bus there is no way to go out. Partially (30%) they were right. So wife refrained from accompanying on this trip
What I experienced
Two aspects are true for Stonehenge
One ”People pass by monuments as if they don’t even exist.”
Two ” All of a sudden everything else in world looks so small”.
In my entire presence here I saw people overwhelmed and a kind of mesmerisation sitting on their face. Probably more that when they see pyramids I guess.
My journey to Stonehenge
In 11 AM bus to Stonehenge there were about 15 -20 visitors from Italy, Germany, Romania and USA and I from India. They were more enthusiastic than me of course. They are going to see the history of Europe where we can say equivalently civilization proved itself that we are are also capable. Right?
There is lot of curiosity of Europeans about England. England is different country than Europe. It has maintained its royal monuments and hence royalty. They earn by this royalty and art of preservation, restoration, publicity, revolving stories in their signage boards, beefeaters guards and so on so forth.
Who built it ? This is a biggest question.
Books are written about it. Researches happened. I had purchased a book on Stonehenge few months back but it went over my head. I am too weak in Astronomy and planets. Note that these structures are about 3000 years earlier than the pyramids. Some theories are put forward. I am hereby elucidating here only what I saw on site as tourist.
When I first saw the Stonehenge I also was wonderstruck as
When “they” constructed this?
Why “they” constructed this?
How “they” constructed this?
I thought to explore the site museum and signage boards, brochure, internet in details for getting the answers to this.
This “they” is bigger question mark than other three questions. Some people say it was constructed by
Druids – Every year they gather here to celebrate the Summer and Winter Solstice.
Celts
Aliens
Romans
Minoans
Britishers themselves built to attract tourists.
Wizard Merlin (a Druid) . Raising the stones by magicalpowers.
Devils – So monument is also called ‘Giant’s dance’.
The final truth is – It is fair to say that we are as much in the dark as we have always been.
What is solstice
The time or date (twice each year) at which the sun reaches its maximum or minimum declination, marked by the longest and shortest days (about 21 June and 22 December).
Who are Druids
Crudely we can say Druids were pagan Celtic people of ancient Britain and France who served a wide variety of roles of teacher, judge, priest, wise man in Society.
Julius Caesar has written about Druid culture and he particularly hated their human sacrifice.
“At a fixed time of year they assemble at a holy place in the territory. . .” Julius Caesar when he was governor of Gaul region. They are said to call rain and tempest on their demand.
Stonehenge is said to be their burial ground but certainly there was no Druid temple in this area. Even today. Druids were long believed to have built Stonehenge and used it as a place of worship even today in Solstice day.
What stones were used to build Stonehenge
Sarsen stones – The larger stones at the monument are sarsen stones. It is likely that these are brought from nearest place Marlborough 32 KM away. These stones are difficult to shape and work. Prehistoric people not only sculpted it but also made lintels.
Bluestone – The smaller stones are bluestones. They are volcanic rock. They look grey today but when freshly cut they are dark blue color. We are not sure why they used this stone. May be they thought these stones have magical properties.
Why it was built
One possible reason – Stonehenge was an astronomical / spiritual observatory. They could predict eclipses, lunar phases and seasons. Nevertheless,
it was possible that it was not the original function because it took more than 1000 years to finish it.
Second possible reason – Stonehenge was a cemetery. Scientists found human bones buried there. But as per scientists, the burials they found are of much later period after Stonehenge was erected. So burial was the actual cause of Stonehenge.
Third possible reason – Stonehenge was a religious temple. People went there because the Druids could give them magic power and cure their illness.
This place could be traditional meeting place of the Druids. Druids still exist in Ireland and Wales region. Still they collect here and perform some rites on Solstice day.
Stages of Construction. But how was built is a question still.
Most archaeologists believe that humans moved the bluestones over water and land to Stonehenge, although it’s also been suggested these stones could’ve been pushed to the site by glaciers.
It was built in 3 stages.
First Stage 3100BC –
The first Stonehenge was built probably around 3100 -3500 BC. They formed a circle. Archaeologists found cremated human bones, but they were probably part of religious ceremony. After that monument did not change for 1000 years.
Second Stage 2100BC –
It restarted around 2150 BC. About 82 bluestones from Preseli mountains were brought to the site.
This journey was about 240 miles. Many of them were more than 4 tons. However scholars do not regard it as impossible feat as many theories are put forth for such move. Once there, the stones were setup
in the center to make an incomplete double circle.
Third Stage (2000 BC) –
It started in 2000 BC. The Sarsen stones that were used were probably brought from Marlborough Downs area near Avebury, about 25 miles north of Stonehenge. These are placed in outer circle. Inside the circle, there were also five trilithons, that still remain today.
Final stage –
After 1500 BC the bluestones were moved into the horseshoe and circle that we see today.
Most of bluestones have been removed or broken.
Surrounding areas of Stonehenge –
Let us have a look at surrounding area of Stonehenge. Most of the sites such as Stonehenge Avenue, King Barrows ridge are almost completely wiped out for a tourist but may be archaeologists only can understand and see its traces.
Cursus and barrows – From the time when humans left nomadic life and began farming (Neolithic era). The pottery and flint tools are found which shows that this place was inhabited even before the barrows were built. In Bronze age (3300 BC to 1200 BC) the people were buried beneath the round mounds of many different shapes and sizes. I could see only 2-3 cursus barrows visibly while taking return bus from the main Stonehenge.
King Barrow ridge- Some burials were discovered in King Barrow ridge in 17th century by 1st Duke of Buckingham. The round barrows on King Barrow Ridge may also be around 4,500 years old.
Winterbourne Stoke Crossroads- is an ancient place of burial 5,500 years ago in Neolithic era.
Normanton Down barrows – 2300-1600 BC – It was important from bronze age people to bury their dead within sight of Stonehenge. This barrow cemetery is one of many that were built on ridges overlooking the monument. This cemetery is famous for containing some of richest burials, of a type classified by archaeologists as Wessex burials. We find some of its findings in museum here.
Stonehenge Avenue – Constructed shortly after Stonehenge, the Avenue is thought to to have been the ancient procession path. The path goes up to river Avon.
Avenue is closest to monument.
Cukoo Stone – This is Sarsen stone and kept here since Stonehenges. This had some special significance for them as “cremated body” ashes were put in urn and buried around this stone. Later it seems Romans built a small temple here as some Roman coins were found in excavation.
Woodhenge –2500 BC This timber monument had six oval rings of posts, surrounded by Henge bank and ditch. This was probably made to place objects like animal bones and pottery here – probably as part of ritual or ceremony. Woodhenge is an atmospheric Neolithic site close to Stonehenge. Probably built about 2500 BC, it was formed of six concentric ovals of standing posts, surrounded by a bank and ditch. The site was discovered by aerial photography in 1925, when rings of dark spots were spotted in a crop of wheat.
Durrington Walls- was where people actually lived and held feasts and rituals.
Aubrey pots- John Aubrey was the one of the first scientists to observe the site with scientific eye in 1666. The pits now bear his name. The great majority of the burials were of adult males, and pieces of unburned human bone were also found scattered around Stonehenge. The area surrounding the Aubrey Holes was used as a place of burial from roughly 3000 to 2300 BC. It is the largest known cemetery from the 3rd millennium BC in Britain. The purpose of these pits is still a mystery, with a common theory being that they were used to support stones or posts. Later, they appear to have been used to bury cremated remains. The Aubrey holes are a ring of fifty-six chalk pits at Stonehenge.
Epilogue
Everyday people come to Stonehenge in thousands. Outside the rope barrier they look at the silent stones and leave with same question as Byron did 200 years ago “What the devil is it?”. Stonehenge survives but stones are silent about “why and how”. Only these stones can answer.
Late professor Richardsan Atkins, a leading authority on Stonehenge wrote ” There is one short, simple and correct answer. We do not know and we shall probably never know”.
For over 70 generations what was the interest of habitants here around. They continuously changed it. Why?
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